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‘Trail of mayhem’ in Weston-super-Mare when drunken roofer was chased by angry mob
A drunken roofer who started a rumpus in a Weston-super-Mare bar lashed out at people at random as he was pursued through the streets by an angry mob.
And when police arrived at the scene he assaulted two officers before racially abusing a detention officer at a police station.
Jack Troth sparked trouble in the sports bar in Weston-super-Mare. Bristol Crown Court heard how, having punched and pushed people, he was ejected but caused further mayhem as he was pursued by a posse through the town centre.
Troth, 26, of Albert Road in Evesham, pleaded guilty to affray, two assaults of an emergency worker and causing racially aggravated harassment Judge Michael Cullum jailed him for 93 weeks. He told Troth: “Your trail of mayhem was multi-facited on many different occasions and did not stop.”
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Robert Yates, prosecuting, said after Troth left the bar he was followed by door staff. He punched one when a bid was made to handcuff him, the court heard.
Mr Yates described how Troth pushed and shoved people – including a stranger with some chips – as a posse of people gave chase. At one point he randomly punched an older man to the head, knocking him over.
When police scrambled to the scene Troth assaulted and spat at two officers, the court heard. He was arrested and taken into custody at Bridgwater police station.
Mr Yates said Troth urinated under the door of his cell and, when a detention officer dealt with it, he subjected her to racial abuse and called her a slut. The court heard Troth had previous convictions for assaulting an emergency worker and racially aggravated harassment.
Charlotte Evans, defending, told the court: “It is an incident fuelled by alcohol use. It is completley irrational and bizarre.”
Miss Evans said her client’s case was that initial, “friendly interaction” in the bar soured and turned into a tussle. She conceded her client then used unprovoked violence.
Troth felt ‘cornered’ when people followed him after the incident, the court heard. He accepted his actions against door staff were ‘unnecessary’.
Miss Evans said: “He has seen CCTV and he showed some real revulsion about his own behaviour. The most serious assault was on a man in the street. He’s being pursued by 20-plus people. He may well have perceived the person was involved. He has very, very little recollection of that night.”
Miss Evans offered no excuse for her client’s racial abuse of the detention officer. She said: “He is not hostile to people not of the same race. He can’t explain it. He wanted to cause some distress.”
The court heard Troth worked self-employed for a roofing business and also as a landscape gardener. He also has parental responsibilities and has stopped drinking completely, the court heard.
Miss Evans added: “He’s spent the last 10 months knowing that he could have thrown it all away. He knows it was one mistake, one mistake which could have a huge impact.”
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