Punters at Sheffield pub 'terrified' by drunk duo who attacked landlord and threw 'missiles' through windows

Prosecuting barrister, Daniel Penman, told Sheffield Crown Court during a November 15 hearing that chaos broke out at the Devonshire Arms pub in Dore on the evening of August 22, 2020 after defendants Kai Alexander, aged 24, and 25-year-old Leon Salmons were asked to leave. Mr Penman said the request was made by the pub’s landlord after he observed the pair acting in a ‘rowdy’ manner while ‘in drink’.

Summarising the facts of the case, the judge, Recorder Richard Thyne KC, told the pair: “You were both in drink, and probably under the influence of drugs.” He added: “The landlord rightly and responsibly told you he would not serve you anymore and told you to go home...You, Salmons, told him that you were on Diazepam and tried to force your way past him.”

Mr Penman described how following this interaction, Alexander ‘remonstrated’ with the landlord, telling him: ‘You can’t touch him like that’ before launching a physical attack on the landlord. Witnesses described seeing Alexander ‘punching him to the face’ in statements to the police, the court heard.

“Alexander started collecting glasses and threw them through the windows,” Mr Penman said, adding that Alexander then went on to throw more ‘missiles’ through the pub’s windows, including its snug, as punters were sitting nearby. A total of six windows were smashed, at a cost of approximately £7,000, during the course of the incident, which was estimated to last between 20 and 30 minutes, the court heard.

“Both of the defendants are described as being aggressive, and getting ready for a fight,” Mr Penman said. He added: “Mr Salmons was shouting ‘I’ve got a shotgun, a shotgun’ and said he was going to shoot everyone.”

Police were called to the scene, and the landlord said he was ‘terrified’ and had a ‘pub full of screaming people’.

“They were screaming and terrified,” Mr Penman said.

Officers mounted a search, and Alexander was found ‘hiding behind a bin’ a short distance away from the pub, while Salmons was arrested after returning to the pub and ‘squaring up to a customer’.

In a statement read to the court, the landlord said he was ‘disgusted’ and ‘heartbroken’ by the behaviour of the two defendants, adding that ‘it’s disgraceful that anyone can come and attack me in my home,’ referring to the fact he lived on the premises at the time of the incident.

The landlord, who said he had only needed to call the police once in five years prior to this incident, also stated that he was grateful for the support of friends and locals who helped him to clean the pub up.

“This incident has had a big impact on me, and my business. I’m less trusting of people I don’t know…it’s made me question whether I want to be a landlord at all, which is a shame because it’s something I love doing,” he continued.

Alexander and Salmons, of Spring Lane, Arbourthorne, were both charged with, and pleaded guilty to, an offence of affray. Alexander, of High Storrs Rise, Greystones, also admitted to an additional charge of criminal damage.

Defending Alexander, Rebecca Stevens told the court that prior to the incident taking place, Alexander’s dad had died. This was ‘shortly followed by the pandemic,’ the circumstances of which meant he was isolated from his partner, child and sister ‘where he would ordinarily find support,’ Ms Stevens said.

She added: “It’s probably no surprise that depression set in, which sadly – not having the tools to cope with that – resulted in him drinking excessively, and taking drugs.”

Mark Dooley, representing Salmons, said that during the course of incident his client hit his head on the floor, causing a visible injury which was noticed by witnesses.

“The landlord describes that at one point he feared that Mr Salmons was, in fact, dead,” Mr Dooley said, adding that this led to Salmons feeling aggrieved ‘at what had just happened’. Mr Dooley continued: “He accepts that his actions were not helpful.”

Recorder Thyne sentenced both defendants to 20 months of custody, suspended for two years. He ordered Alexander to complete a rehabilitation activity requirement of up to 10 days and three-month curfew; and handed Salmons 100 hours of unpaid work and a rehabilitation activity requirement of up to 35 days.