A FATHER of three boys, who went out drinking at a nightclub to celebrate news that his partner was expecting his first daughter, punched a man twice in the head, a court has heard.
Luke Adam Exley, 20, of Knights Way, Beverley punched Ryan Jake Kemp in the head outside Utopia, in Bridlington in the early hours of 18 November last year.
Exley pleaded guilty to two charges of assault by beating when he was brought before magistrates in Bridlington last Wednesday (7 March).
He also admitted breaching a 12-month conditional discharge which had been imposed by Beverley Magistrates Court on 24 March last year for an offence of theft.
Exley appeared at Bridlington Magistrates Court alongside Adam Lee Spence, 22, of Lansdowne Road, Bridlington who pleaded guilty to using threatening words, and of behaviour to cause harassment, alarm or distress – a section 5 public order offence – in relation to the same incident.
Prosecutor Andrew Sterling told the court that Mr Kemp was sitting on a bench outside the nightclub at around 3am when a group of six people, including Exley and Spence, walked past him.
“Mr Kemp said there was some verbal abuse directed at him. He did reply to the group and told them to go home and shut up,” Mr Sterling said.
But the group gathered around Mr Kemp who was “prodded” in the shoulder by Spence before Exley punched him in the head.
A “dazed” and “confused” Kemp decided to go home but, while walking along the Promenade, he encountered Exley again.
“Mr Exley ran towards him and he was punched again to the face by Mr Exley. He responded by covering his face up to protect himself,” Mr Sterling.
Mr Sterling told the court that other people joined in, striking Mr Kemp’s body and legs, leaving him needing treatment from paramedics.
Richard North, mitigating, told the court that two days before the assault Exley, who had three boys already, learnt that his partner was expecting his first daughter.
On the night of the assault, Exley had been out celebrating the news and had had a large amount of alcohol to drink,” Mr North said.
“He says the victim was making gestures and inappropriate comments about Mr Exley’s family so he went up and hit the victim once,” Mr North said.
Mr North said Exley could not remember the incident but, after seeing CCTV footage of it, said he wanted to apologise to Mr Kemp.
Mr North said later on the two men met again outside Bridlington’s Leisure World where Mr Kemp started throwing glass bottles at Exley before he retaliated by running up to him and punching him for the second time.
Mr North said Spence knew the victim and had had too much to drink.
“He said he tapped Mr Kemp’s shoulder and the victim took exception to this. He accepts he did mouth off towards Mr Kemp and behaved in a rather uncalled for way,” Mr North said.
Exley was given a 16-week curfew, seven days a week from 7pm to 7am, and was ordered to pay £100 compensation to Kemp. Exley was also ordered to pay court costs of £85. Spence was given a 12-month conditional discharge and must pay £85 court costs.