From the Dover Express, 21 December 2017. By Sean Doherty.

Man bit bouncer’s arm during nightclub fight.

Pair plead guilty in court to charges of assault at Cameo.

A BOUNCER was bitten and punched by a Dover man after he was kicked out of an Ashford nightclub.

Lewis Tovey, 24, of Hillside Road and his friend Jay Hubbard, 24, of Church Lane, were involved in a brawl with door staff in the early hours on Sunday, June 11.

The pair were both charged with assault after the altercation outside Cameo nightclub, in Station Road.

Appearing at Folkestone Magistrates’ Court on December 13, both men admitted the crimes.

The court heard how Tovey bit security staff member Brian Powell’s arm while he was being restrained.

He also punched him and broke his glasses.

Restrained.

A second door staff member, Timothy Page, then punched Tovey after Tovey had grabbed him while being restrained.

Seeing this, Tovey’s friend Jay Hubbard, 24, of Church Lane, got involved and proceeded to punch Mr Page three times.

Tovey also pleaded guilty to criminal damage in breaking Mr Powell’s glasses.

In a statement read out to court, Mr Powell said: “The whole ordeal has left me upset.

“All I was doing was restraining him and he took a chunk out of my arm.”

Defending Hubbard, Roger Davies argued that his client was unaware that Tovey had bitten the first door staff member in the affray when he jumped in in defence of his friend.

He said: “Mr Tovey was inebriated and Mr Hubbard was trying to placate him.

“He went beyond what was appropriate.

“He did not see why [the member of door staff] punched Mr Tovey.

“He thought it was a gratuitous blow, he did not realise that [Tovey] had hit the other security guard.

“But he accepts that with three blows, he went beyond what was appropriate.”

Defending Tovey, Robert Quinn said that he had little recollection of what happened that night.

Mr Quinn said: “Going through what happened that night, it comes down to demon drink.

“The night in question, he had been on a night out with friends and they got in a habit of buying rounds.

“Mr Tovey is not much of a drinker. He drinks rarely and he couldn’t keep up.

“He just couldn’t handle it. He got drunk and the rest is hazy.

“He believes that he was assaulted in the night club which led to him becoming angry.

“He believes the bite came after he was put in a headlock and he became panicked and bit out so he could breathe again.

“A reflection of how sorry he is that he has not been out since that night. He made clear in the interview that he was sorry and offered to pay for the glasses.”

Hubbard was ordered to pay a £320 fine, along with a £32 surcharge and £85 costs. He was also ordered to pay £150 compensation to Mr Page.

Tovey was given 12-month community order and ordered to do 160 hours of unpaid work, as well as pay £200 compensation to Mr Powell and £85 costs.

Addressing both men, chair of the bench Robert Quinn said: “The court treats extremely seriously attacks on people who service the public.”

In addressing Tovey, he added the warning: “You could have been on the cusp here of a custodial sentence.

“Not doing the work means custody is a real option.

“If you come in [to the court] having breached, bring a toothbrush and an overnight bag!”