Thug crashed beer bottle into passer-by's face after vicious attack on doorman at Whitby pub

Daniel Brown, 31, went on a drunken rampage in the town centre where terrified guests at the Dolphin Hotel scattered to escape the terrifying scenes, York Crown Court heard.

Brown, who had been out drinking with friends and family, turned up outside the pub/hotel in Bridge Street, shouting accusations that “someone” had made advances towards his partner, which was apparently a “complete” misunderstanding.

He then targeted a security man in the doorway of the busy pub, punching him repeatedly in the face and landing a “right hook” to the jaw, said prosecutor Mike Greenhalgh.

CCTV showed the doorman retreating inside the pub as Brown continued to punch him and follow him in.

The flurry of blows knocked the doorman to the floor, with his “hands over his face, trying to protect himself”.

Amid scenes of utter chaos, punters “bravely” intervened and eventually managed to push Brown out of the pub.

About an hour and a half later, Brown was spotted on CCTV in New Quay Road, where he was sat slumped against a wall, clearly drunk.

As his family members tried in vain to persuade him to get up, a man and his wife walked past and there was an “exchange of words”, although it seemed that the man had merely asked Brown “if he was all right”.

Brown suddenly leapt up and grabbed a beer bottle, “brandishing it as a weapon”, and started shouting over at the man, stumbling and falling in the road.

He got back up, walked over to the man and struck him in the side of the face with the glass bottle.

He then punched him in the face, knocking him to the ground, and as the named victim was lying helpless on the floor, Brown kicked him “squarely” in the face.

He then walked away as the victim bled profusely from a 5cm wound to his cheek which had “nicked” an artery.

The wound was so profound that it required 20 “external and internal” stitches both in and around his mouth and cheek.

He had to be kept in hospital overnight.

The victim later told police he had no memory of the incident after being attacked by Brown but after coming round, he was bleeding so heavily he thought he might bleed to death.

Brown, from Middlesbrough, was eventually located by police and charged with wounding the man with intent and affray in relation to the incident at the pub, which occurred at about 7.25pm on September 24, 2022.

He admitted affray but initially denied intent in relation to the wounding, only to plead guilty on the day of trial.

He appeared for sentence today (June 20).

Mr Greenhalgh said that pub guests who had been “enjoying a drink” were shocked by Brown’s behaviour and started “moving away, clearly fearful for their safety”.

The wounding victim said he had been left with a permanent, “clearly visible” scar to his face.

The attack had resulted in “physical and mental scarring” and he “genuinely feared” he could have died due to the heavy blood loss.

His career in “designing and delivering projects for numerous clients” had been affected because he often had to meet them both professionally and socially and they always stared at the scar which he said made him “look like a thug”.

Brown, of Coverdale, had an “extensive” criminal record which included five previous violent offences, harassment and “dishonesty”.

Defence barrister Rachael Landin said that the father-of-one, who worked as a welder, had personal and family issues at the time which led him to “drink excessively” and “when in drink he is not a good man of society”, but otherwise he was a hard-working and “perfectly decent” man.

Mr Recorder Giuliani told Brown: “You got so drunk you were unable to control your anger and it’s clear…that you are someone who has difficulty controlling (your) anger.”

“(The victim) suffered a severed artery to his cheek and down to the excessive amount of bleeding from that artery, he was fearful that he might bleed to death,” he added.

He said the victim’s “grave” injury had caused a “permanent and irreversible” facial scar.

“It causes (the victim) continued distress when he is meeting clients for socialising and will probably do so for many, many years to come, if not for the rest of his life,” said Mr Giuliani.

He said that Brown had attacked a doorman who was there “to protect people from…thugs like you”.

Brown was jailed for five years and four months and told he must serve two-thirds of that sentence behind bars before becoming eligible for release on prison licence.