Fine for disorderly dancer who assaulted doorman

Tuesday 09 April 2024

A dancer who became disorderly and hit a doorman in the face as he was escorted out of a St Helier nightclub has been told he came “very close" to being sent to prison.

Oliver Cano-Lopez (29) admitted assault and being disorderly on premises when he appeared in the Magistrate's Court yesterday.

He was spared jail but fined a total of £2,506, and has been bound over to be of good behaviour for three months.

St Helier Centenier Paul Davies, prosecuting, said that Cano-Lopez had been the Royal Yacht Hotel on the evening of 23 December.

He was drunk and was trying to dance with a woman who did not want him to do so.

Mr Davies said: "He kept moving towards her and wouldn’t leave her alone. She pushed him away but he kept coming back to her.”

A member of door staff asked Cano-Lopez to leave and called over other staff to help.

Mr Davies said: “He became argumentative. He refused to leave and started to lash out at other door staff. He hit one of them in the face.”

Advocate Chris Baglin, defending, pointed out that Cano-Lopez had pleaded guilty to assault and being disorderly on premises at the earliest opportunity.

He added: “Mr Cano-Lopez apologises for his actions and for wasting everyone’s time.”

Assistant Magistrate Adam Clarke told Cano-Lopez that his behaviour was “wholly unacceptable” and the offences were aggravated by the fact that he had been drunk at the time.

He said: “This was a minor disturbance but it was an avoidable one, and was entirely fuelled by alcohol.”

Of the assault, he added: “There was little injury but that is more by luck than judgement. It could have been worse. You came very close to the custodial threshold.”

The Assistant Magistrate fined Cano-Lopez £600 for being disorderly on premises and £1,800 for assault, and also ordered him to pay £106 in compensation to the victim.