Bouncer 'left clubber paralysed' court hears (From Daily Echo)

Bouncer 'left clubber paralysed' court hears

1:57pm Tuesday 9th June 2009 in Crime

A STUDENT was permanently paralysed as a bouncer manhandled him out of a nightclub, a court heard.

John Jones was being dragged out of KAOS in St Mary’s Road, Southampton, by doorman Andrew Lee when the pair fell.

The security man had stepped in when Mr Jones had argued with his girlfriend, Southampton Crown Court was told.

Dressed as punks at the fancy dress student night, Mr Jones had told Aslihan Konan he was bored and wanted to go home. She walked away and he took hold of her by the arm.

Prosecutor William Mousley alleged Lee then grabbed Mr Jones from behind and put his hands behind his neck in a full nelson to throw him out of the club.

Miss Konan screamed at Lee to release Mr Jones but he dragged him away.

Mr Mousley told the court: “As they moved towards the exit, John Jones and the doorman fell to the floor. He suffered a broken neck and is permanently paralysed from the neck down.

“His actions towards John Jones were unnecessary and unreasonable. He caused the terrible injury that followed.

“There was no need for the defendant to have taken hold of him at all. He was not being violent or threatening. He did not deserve to be ejected.

“The hold which he employed was dangerous.

His actions clearly created a serious risk that some physical harm would result. The defendant abused his position, showing a total disregard for the safety of a customer.”

Jurors were shown CCTV footage in the club from February last year which captured Mr Jones talking to his girlfriend in a corridor. They saw Lee approaching and, after a ten-second delay, saw the bouncer dragging Mr Jones backwards from behind.

Mr Mousley said the footage did not show any threat of violence from the Southampton Solent University student who was treated at the scene by paramedics and then taken to the General Hospital.

He was transferred to a hospital at Cardiff where he remained until December when he returned to his nearby home.

Mr Jones, 22, who sat in the public gallery, heard Mr Mousley say that he would not make any neurological recovery.

In interview, Lee told police he had approached to find out what was going out after Mr Jones had argued with his girlfriend and then “shoved” another girl. He told him he had to leave but was ignored. He claimed Mr Jones swore at him and lunged at him. He thought he was going to be attacked and instinctively grabbed him by the arms.

After being told of the injuries, Lee said he felt “gutted”, the court heard.

Lee, 31, of Alcantara Crescent, Southampton, denies causing grievous bodily harm.

Proceeding