Birthday party lock-in erupted into violence

Three of the four people involved, including the licensee and the bar manager, were sent to prison when they appeared in the Magistrate’s Court.

The incident, in The Mirror Bar, The Quay, St Peter Port, started at about 4.30am.

It lasted for about 12 minutes and was captured on CCTV which was shown to the court.

The four accused were licensee Jennifer Murphy, 30, of Flat 2, La Ville en Bas, 47, Hauteville, St Peter Port, bar manager Samuel Taylor, 27, of Flat 1, La Ville en Bas, 47, Hauteville, St Peter Port, Jessica Freitas, 20, of staff accommodation, L’Eree Hotel, Route de la Rocque Poisson, St Peter’s, and her brother, Noemio Freitas, 20, of 12a, Cliff Street, St Peter Port.

They admitted together being involved in a fight in which weapons were used.

The defendants were the only ones in the bar. Miss Freitas worked there occasionally, collecting glasses.

Prosecuting officer Jenny McVeigh told the court how Miss Freitas had made a 999 call asking for help, but hung up quickly.

The call was traced to the bar and police attended just after 5am.

All four were injured and required hospital treatment, though none wished to make a complaint.

During the brawl, Taylor was seen to strike Mr Freitas with a wine bottle, while Murphy hit the same man with a broom and kicked him as he lay on the floor.

Taylor gave no-comment responses in interview. Murphy said she did not remember anything but said she had not drunk alcohol or taken drugs.

She identified herself on the CCTV and the officer noted she was remorseful over her behaviour from the start.

Mr Freitas said he had been drunk. He could not recall how the fight started and said he had acted in self defence before acknowledging that he could have walked away.

Miss Freitas said it was her birthday and her brother’s birthdays and that Taylor and Murphy had being giving out free drinks

She said the other three had been very drunk and she had been trying to protect her brother. She said Murphy had stopped her from using the phone to call the police initially.

For Miss Freitas, Advocate Sam Maindonald said her client was one of a set of triplets.

She was very protective of her brother and had only got involved when saw that he was being assaulted.

She saw him get struck on the head with a bottle and he had permanent scars on his forehead.

For her brother, Advocate Chris Green said his client had been the victim of sustained and violent attack by Taylor and Murphy.

He admitted biting Taylor’s finger and punching both people.

He was attacked with a stick and the incident left him unconscious on the floor albeit briefly. He had not used weapons himself.

For Taylor, Advocate Paul Lockwood said his client had hosted the party and the four had initially been in good spirits.

He had no issues with Mr Freitas who, he recalled, had been acting aggressively towards him. He felt threatened by this and had decided to throw him out, which he was entitled to do.

For Murphy, Advocate Amy Richardson said her client could give no reason why she acted like she did but had intervened when Taylor was being attacked

She had not wanted the police involved because drinks were being served outside of licensing hours. Her position as licensee was now in jeopardy.

Judge Philip Robey said it had been a nasty and protracted incident and all four defendants had been willing parties at some stage.

It was clear that initially Miss Freitas had been trying to protect her brother but had then struck out and punched Murphy with force.

Mr Freitas claimed he was the victim of a sustained attacked.

‘But that’s not how I view it,’ said Judge Robey. ‘Victims of sustained attacks are not normally willing participants and at the start you were happy to trade blows with Mr Taylor.’

Murphy had tried to pitch in persistently on behalf of Taylor and had been kicking Mr Freitas as he lay on the floor, striking him with a telephone.

Taylor had started the violence. Even if Mr Freitas had need ejecting from the bar, the degree of force he used was bound to result in trouble.

‘You hit him as he lay on the ground and the dangers of striking someone on a head with a wine bottle are only to obvious,’ he said.

Taylor, who was convicted of assault in 2016 was jailed for nine months while Murphy was jailed for three. Only Taylor had previous convictions.

Mr Freitas also admitted behaving in a disorderly manner by shouting and swearing in the hospital’s Emergency Department on a separate occasion.

He was jailed for two months for the bar offence with seven days, concurrent, for the other matter.

His sister received a sentence of one month in prison but suspended for one year.