A DRUNK Wigton pub customer who wrongly believed a fellow drinker had groped a woman headbutted him.

Jonathan Burrow, 29, who was later told there was a misunderstanding, returned to the pub to apologise and accepted he would not have behaved in such a violent way had he been sober. He admitted a public order offence.

At Carlisle’s Rickergate Magistrates’ Court, prosecutor George Shelley played CCTV footage of the incident at the Lion & Lamb pub in High Street, Wigton, on  Friday, November 18 last year.

The prosecutor said Burrow had been out drinking with his friends and then began talking to the man he later assaulted. Video footage shows him suddenly lunging forward to headbutt him.

He also attempted to throw punches, though the punches failed to connect.

A probation officers who was in court said the defendant had confessed to dinking seven pints before the attack. Burrow had heard a woman in the pub say she had been groped by the man, said the officer. 

His friend tried to speak to the accused man, but Burrow pulled him away and confronted him. Words were exchanged and then the defendant delivered the headbutt.

“He tried to punch the man a couple of times, but the blows missed and they were separated by the female.” The woman involved later confirmed that there had been no sexual assault.

Burrow, of Waver Lane, Wigton, returned to later pub and apologised; and he also shook hands with the victim, and both agreed that there were no hard feelings. The probation officer added: “He said if he had been sober, this would not have happened.”

Since the incident, he had had only a few drinks and he no longer uses cocaine, added the officer. He had also been abstinent from cannabis for the last nine days.

Defence lawyer Jeff Smith said the defendant had not offended again since the incident in November and he amended his behaviour significantly.

District Judge John Temperley imposed a one-year community order, with 180 hours of unpaid work, £85 costs, and a £114 victim surcharge. The judge said Burrow must complete a 90 day alcohol treatment requirement.

The man who was headbutted did not want to support an assault prosecution.