Sheffield bingo caller left with broken jaw trying to split up family fight

Mr Wake, who has been president of Sheffield’s Shiregreen working men’s Club for 35 years, intervened when a row broke out in the club.

As he tried to calm down a family squabble on a busy Saturday evening he was punched in the face by Craig Gale, 25, a court heard.

The 62-year-old victim managed to stay on his feet and asked Gale why he had done it and his attacker cockily replied: “Cos I want to and who are you?”

Gale was still rowing with his sister as he left the club and had his hands round her throat so Mr Wake went to her aid and stood between the pair.

He managed to get them to the entrance doors said Carl Fitch, prosecuting, and onto some steps when Craig’s father Stephen Gale, 57, appeared.

Mr Gale senior, waded into the altercation but Mr Wake managed to get all of the warring family members outside the club gates.

Stephen Gale then grabbed hold of Mr Wake’s shirt and punched him through the bars of the gate, grabbed his left wrist and wrenched off a £300 watch which smashed.

Staff members eventually managed to lock the gates and shut out the family.

Mr Wake was left with a broken jaw which had to be wired together with plates and screws and a cut above the right eye - all caused by Craig Gale’s punch. He was left with significant pain and discomfort and had to take a week off work.

Craig Gale, of Jepson Road, Wincobank admitted unlawful wounding on May 16 last year and his father, of the same address, admitted affray when they appeared together in the dock at Sheffield Crown Court.

Richard Veni, for Craig Gale, said it was poor behaviour but out of character and he never intended to break Mr Wake’s jaw.

Nawaz Hussain, for his father, said he had served with the Royal Navy in the Falklands and was a ‘decent, mature man’ but misread the situation.

“He mistakenly thought his son was at the rough end of a situation and acted in a rash and emotional way,” he said.

Judge Peter Kelson said it was an ‘appalling incident’

“It was a bad attack on a man who was doing nothing more than his duty in the club,” he said.

Craig Gale was jailed for 16 months and Stephen Gale was given a five-month jail term suspended for two years, 150 hours of unpaid work and he was ordered to pay Mr Wake £1,000 compensation. Both men were also barred by the judge from the club for two years.