Shocking moment Bolton Wanderers star Kyle Dempsey and his dad beat up bouncer in ‘merciless’ attack
THIS is the shocking moment a Bolton Wanderers star and his dad beat up a bouncer in a “merciless” attack.
Kyle Dempsey, 27, and dad, Michael, 50, launched what a judge described as a “ugly group” attack on doorman Darryl Jarvis.
Father and son had earlier admitted actual bodily harm assault on Mr Jarvis during the violent incident at Maryport Labour Club in Cumbria on July 16 last year.
Kyle Dempsey and Michael Dempsey were today handed prison sentences of 12 and 13 months, respectively, suspended for 18 months.
Shocking CCTV footage released by the Crown Prosecution Service, showed the moment the pair launched the attack.
The footballer was seen kicking the victim twice in the horrific assault.
Kyle Dempsey, from Blackpool, had been playing for Wanderers in a friendly game against Carlisle United earlier in the day before going to socialise with his family at the Tap Tavern in Maryport, the court heard.
Dempsey senior, from Maryport, drank six or seven pints while his son had three or four.
It was as they were walking to the Labour Club to collect Kyle Dempsey’s granddad that the footballer was attacked by a local man who’d previously caused the family problems.
Kyle Dempsey was knocked unconscious, the court heard.
After coming round, Kyle and his dad “chased” the attacker towards the club where doorman Darryl was greeted by a “swarm” of people at around 10-30pm.
The man who is said to have attacked Kyle was able to get into the club while there was a struggle taking place at the doors.
CCTV footage of the incident revealed Kyle to be “acting aggressively” outside the club, the judge said.
Michael Dempsey is said to have thrown a punch, according to the doorman, and the blow connected with his face.
The bouncer told the court he recalled feeling “multiple strikes to my body and face and head” as he was “bent double” and yanked downwards.
Jarvis told the court that he had suffered “at least a dozen blows”.
The incident was temporarily stopped after staff at the club closed the door but it flared up again after the doors were flung open, having been kicked by Michael Dempsey.
Prosecutor Gerard Rogerson said Mr Jarvis moments earlier had restrained Kyle Dempsey in a bid to prevent trouble.
“Kyle Dempsey then broke free and began to assault Mr Jarvis by the use of punches and also the use of his knee in an upwards motion towards Mr Jarvis,” said Mr Rogerson.
“When that has happened, Mr Dempsey senior also joined in, raining punches towards Mr Jarvis.”
Mr Jarvis recalled: “After a series of blows I felt an immediate strike to the left side of my head. I felt warm liquid and then realised I was bleeding.”
He added: “There were a lot of females screaming, ‘get off him’.”
Mr Jarvis suffered a broken nose, bruised ribs, a cut head, chipped tooth and bruising which forced him off work as both a doorman and a care home maintenance manager.
Kyle Dempsey sat forward and looked down as the court heard Mr Jarvis tell in an impact statement of being “incredibly anxious” and “scared of repercussions” following the incident.
“I’ve been left with a scar to the left side of my head which is a constant reminder of the attack,” Mr Jarvis had said.
“July 16 is my wedding anniversary and now it will always be overshadowed as a reminder of the violence I suffered by two people who I can only describe as mindless thugs who had the sole intention of causing me serious harm.”
Kyle Dempsey, of Blackpool, and Michael Dempsey, of Whitecroft, Maryport, admitted actual bodily harm assault.
They claimed they used excessive self-defence and going overboard in the face of provocation – but this was dismissed by a judge who concluded it had been a “determined and sustained assault”.
It was, Judge Ian Unsworth KC concluded, an “ugly, group attack”; “wildly excessive, ruthless and merciless”.
Kyle Dempsey and Michael Dempsey – who also admitted damaging the door – were given prison sentences of 12 and 13 months, respectively.
But these were both suspended for 18 months in the light of substantial mitigation and a realistic prospect of rehabilitation.
Both men were ordered to pay Mr Jarvis £1,500 compensation, complete 200 hours’ unpaid work and also night-time curfews.
In Kyle’s case his curfew will not be electronically monitored and can be varied in the light of any “employment issues”.
“This was, as each of you have acknowledged, shameful conduct. You have each let yourself down, your family down and, in your case, Kyle Dempsey, you know that you have let down the people who employ you and those who look up to you,” said Judge Unsworth.
“But it is important you are not treated any differently from anybody else appearing before these courts.”
During evidence, Mr Rogerson drew the player’s attention to CCTV footage of the shocking violence, saying: “You’ve completely lost it there, haven’t you?” Kyle replied: “Yeah.”
‘OUT OF CONTROL’
Giving his ruling today at Carlisle Crown Court, Judge Ian Unsworth KC said he had reviewed the CCTV images which had captured most of the incident.
The judge said: “Kyle Dempsey was not defending himself; he was out of control and, in his words, had lost it.”
The violence was only stopped when the police arrived.
Judge Unsworth said: “In my judgement, this was a determined, sustained and joint attack on a doorman who was doing no more than trying to preserve public order and the safety of those in the club.”
Acting for both defendants, Lisa Judge described Michael Dempsey as a “loving, kind, family man,” saying he had wept when he was told that his conviction might prevent him in the future from being a youth rugby coach.
She said that when Michael had seen the CCTV footage, there had been “unequivocal horror” in his expression.
The barrister said he had expressed not only remorse, but “insightful remorse”.
Miss Judge said that Kyle Dempsey had also expressed genuine remorse and he had also reacted with horror when he was shown the video footage.
She told the court: “He is an individual who engages in charitable acts and works with youths at grass roots level… He is worried that parents will think he is a poor role model.
“His concern is about parents and others. At his level and age, within a professional football career, any period of imprisonment will wreck that life for him.”
Judge Unsworth warned both men the face possible jail sentence and will pass sentence later today.
Mr Jarvis said in a victim personal statement to the court that he had lost a night’s pay from his work as a door supervisor and had to take a week off work from his day job as a care home maintenance manager.
He added: “The case should have been completed quickly at the magistrates court if they had had the decency to admit what they had done.”
Mr Jarvis added: “I am grateful to the police officers who pulled them off me; if they had carried on my injuries could have been significantly worse and I might not even be here today.”