No jail for thug
11:09am Wednesday 9th April 2008
A MAN with a history of violence has walked away from court after attacking a Bridge Street doorman.
Simon Johnson, aged 26, of Gainsborough Road, Wilderspool, was found guilty of the unprovoked beating of Fabio Morelli on December 5 last year which left the doorman with vision problems for several weeks.
Johnson appeared at Warrington Crown Court on Friday for sentencing.
The court heard the 26-year-old has served five prison sentences and has a string of 28 convictions for 49 offences, including affray, common assault, supplying drugs, ABH, being drunk and disorderly, and using abusive and threatening words and behaviour.
CCTV footage captured Johnson punching Mr Morelli to the side of his face as the doorman and a colleague went to aid a woman at a take-away a few doors down from their work.
David Jones, prosecuting, said Johnson had struck another victim without warning in 2003 in a foreshadowing of December's attack.
But Michael Davies, representing Johnson, said the 2003 attack had been the defendant's last violent offence prior to hitting Mr Morelli.
He said: "At the time of the offence he had separated from his partner and had started to drink heavily, and it seems this goes hand in hand with this type of offending. Hitherto, his drinking was under control.
"Although it was from behind, unseen, unprovoked and a cheap shot, it was a single shot."
Judge Nicholas Woodward ruled it would be counter-productive to jail Johnson, who is an electrician's mate and has enrolled on a college course.
He said: "You were in Warrington, you were drunk and you did what is going on so often in Warrington - you just assaulted someone for no reason.
"You have a bad record, particularly for violence, and looking at your record I would say it is inevitable for a custodial sentence but because your last sentence was three years ago, it seems that you have tried to put your life back together.
"With a lot of hesitation I have decided to give you a chance because I feel at this moment you are at a particular point where you can carry on making yourself a perfectly decent life but I suspect if you return to custody you will go back to a life of crime."
Johnson received a six-month suspended sentence, a supervision order of 18 months, and was ordered to pay £500 compensation to Mr Morelli.