'Ashamed' Wellingborough man who drank all day, beat a woman and a dog promises judge ‘you will never see me again’

A Wellingborough man hit a dog and a woman before threatening a witness who intervened.

Simon Bryant, of Paling Close, pleaded guilty at Northampton Magistrates’ Court to common assault, assault by beating and failing to surrender.

The court heard Bryant, 55, had been drinking all day and was seen shouting and swearing and waving his walking stick around when a woman with a dog walked past on October 2.

Her dog started to bark after seeing a cat, triggering Bryant to lash out at the pet by hitting it three times. He then set about the dog’s owner, hitting her and pushing her to the ground. She was left with cuts to her hands and a bruise on her back after she was hit with his stick.

One witness who saw the attack also intervened at which point Bryant backed her against a wall and she feared she was going to be assaulted too, asking people to call 999.

Prosecuting, Sukhy Singh said: “She asked someone to call the police. He told them he had been listening to music and drinking.

"He had drunk two litres of cider. He couldn’t recall assaulting anyone and couldn’t recall seeing a dog.”

Mitigating, Richard Bolch told the court that Bryant, who can’t work due to disability, hadn’t drunk alcohol for 14 months prior to the incident.

He said: “He was ashamed and wanted to apologise. He tends to keep himself to himself. He would have apologised by now if he hadn’t been warned against it by officers.”

From the dock, Bryant spoke to District Judge Amar Mehta and said: “I have never drunk since that day and I will never drink again.”

District Judge Mehta said: “On that day in question you assaulted a woman and the person who came to help.

“I should send you to prison but I’m going to step away from that.”

Bryant was fined £100 for the first assault and £50 for the second. He was ordered to pay £100 compensation to each victim, £85 costs and a victim surcharge of £65.

From the dock, Bryant thanked the judge and said: “You will never see me again.”