Man jailed for 'serious act of violence' in Stratford town centre

AFTER stealing two bottles of wine from a Stratford shop, a drunken man carried out an unprovoked attack on a food delivery driver by hitting him over the head with one of the bottles.

And before he was arrested Phillip Nance went on to smash a £3,000 window, a judge at Warwick Crown Court has heard.

Nance (35) of no fixed address, was jailed for two years and ten months after pleading guilty to charges of theft, assault and criminal damage.

Prosecutor Naomi Nelson-Cofie said that in January, Nance went into a convenience store in the centre of Stratford at about 10pm and made his way to the alcohol fridge.

He helped himself to two bottles of wine and, ignoring a staff member’s polite and calm requests for him not to take them, walked out without paying.

Shortly afterwards a man who worked as a delivery driver for a Chinese restaurant in the town was sitting in his car waiting for a food order to be ready for him to deliver.

Nance, who was with three women, inexplicably opened the passenger door of the car and got in before asking the driver for a cigarette, which he did not have.

When Nance then became aggressive, the driver got out – only for Nance to climb across the car and also get out and attack him by hitting him over the head with one of the bottles of wine.

The driver said the bottle broke on impact, but Nance’s barrister Olivia Appleby pointed out: “It is the defendant’s understanding that the bottle didn’t break.”

Nance then punched him twice before being led away by the women, only to turn and walk back to deliver another blow.

He then made off in the company of the three women, and was tracked by CCTV cameras before smashing a window of a nearby building, causing £3,100 damage.

When he was interviewed the following day after being arrested, Nance said he could not recall the night’s events, but was apologetic for what he had done, said Miss Nelson-Cofie.

She added that Nance had previous convictions for 35 offences, including robberies in which he was armed with an imitation firearm, burglary and wounding.

Miss Appleby, observing that while a CCTV recording of the assault was played in court Nance had his head in his hands, said: “This was an ugly attack. He feels very ashamed about it.”

She said that after being released from prison Nance had struggled with his mental health, and after learning he was to be recalled for failing to comply with his licence conditions he began drinking, and the incidents were ‘fuelled by alcohol.’

Jailing Nance, Recorder Michael Duck QC told him: “The most serious offence is the assault. You, in the company of three females, walked towards a car, and you got into it.

“It was occupied by [the victim] who was doing nothing more than his job, sitting outside a Chinese restaurant for which he did some work, waiting for some food to deliver to a customer.

“You began demanding a cigarette. You were aggressive, and he took the wise precaution of getting out.

“But you climbed over the vehicle and also got out and took one of the bottles you had taken from the store and struck him over the head with it.

“It’s not clear whether the bottle broke or not, but you carried on and struck another two or possibly three full-blooded punches at him.

“The females in your company appear to have tried to dissuade you, and you walked away, but you then walked back and delivered another full-blooded blow.”

The Recorder added that he took account of Nance’s mental health and his clear remorse, but said: “I have to bear in mind my public duty. You were in a public place, and you committed a serious act of violence.”