By Lucy Caulkett And Eric King-
A doorman in Leeds was caught on camera kicking a man unconscious on the pavement outside a Leeds city centre bar where he worked has been jailed.
Marcus Saleh was jailed for two years after a judge watched CCTV footage of him rendering the victim “senseless” in the attack.
Bouncer
Marcus Saleh
The well built 23 years old, was working as a bouncer at Smokestack, on Briggate, when he attacked the victim last July.
Leeds Crown Court was shown footage of the incident in which Salah was seen to punch the victim several times in a stand-off which lasts around three minutes.
He then knocked the victim to the ground before kicking him to the side of the head.
A court heard that onlookers were shocked at the level of brutality used by Saleh
The incident took place after the victim challenged Saleh, whom he said was sitting on his mountain bike, chained up outside the bar.
The victim said Saleh had been “twiddling” with the peddles as he chatted with two women.
The victim had been drinking at a different pub, and claims he asked the defendant whether his mother had not taught him some respect for others’ property,” and that this was what sparked the attack.
The doorman, Marcus Saleh, said the victim swore and racially abused him.
The footage showed Saleh punching the victim before squaring up to him as-is the victim backed away.
Salah attacked the man again as the victim tried to unchain the bike.
Doorman Out Victim In Recovery Position
The footage also shows Saleh putting the victim in the recovery position and using his phone to contact police when he realised he caused serious injury.
Saleh’s lawyer said Saleh was battling depression and was “low and depressed” at the time of the incident of personal misfortunes. His grandfather had died and he had just split up with his girlfriend. However, the lawyer must know that personal circumstances do not carry any weight when it comes to breaking the law. Depression can inflate people’s mood and their temper, but it is each one’s responsibility to obey the law regardless of their personal circumstances.
Saleh, said to be a former engineering student, had no previous convictions.What the lawyer did not tell the court was why Saleh was not working in a professional engineering job. Considering that Saleh would not have been asked to provide evidence that he was, in fact, an engineering student since he was in court for GBH.
Saleh was said to have been provoked by the victim, who was drunk at the time of the incident.
Marcus Saleh’s Judgement
Jailing Saleh, judge Penelope Belcher said: “You were outside the premises where you worked.
“You could have easily and simply left the scene and gone back into those premises.
“The way to deal with it is not what happened here.
“What happened here was a very nasty, sustained, attack
“I’m willing to accept that you were the subject of some derogatory remarks – that doesn’t justify what happened.
“What I see on the CCTV is not a man trying to extract himself from the situation, to leave it, to get away from it, but someone who is trying to square up to the victim.
“As a professional doorman, you could simply have turned around and walked away or simply dealt with this situation by apologising.”
The sentence calls attention for the need for doormen to always act within the measure. Far too often, doormen abuse their powers, with the belief they will escape punishment. The fact is that many in position abuse their powers until they are brought to justice. Marcus Saleh will have a long time in jail to contemplate his excessive actions.
He is expected to serve half the sentence, which is 12 months in jail.