Man jailed for trashing lap dance club and threatening manager

Chaos erupted at a lap-dancing bar when a stag party guest went berserk.
PRISON: Liam CostelloPRISON: Liam Costello
PRISON: Liam Costello

Liam Costello, 26, of Berry Lane, Longridge, caused £1,000 of damage at Preston’s Perfect 10s bar after he and his friends became rowdy and aggressive.

Bottles of spirits were shattered and the floor left covered in glass as he swept drinking glasses off a bar. He hurled two chairs behind the bar, smashing the display mirror and several bottles of spirits.

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And he threatened to “smash” frightened manager Stephanie Watson in the face with a champagne bottle as she tried to force them out of the club on July 24.

PRISON: Liam CostelloPRISON: Liam Costello
PRISON: Liam Costello

She was pelted with champagne corks and after cowering behind the bar to protect herself from furniture being hurled, and ended up running away from the club to the nearest taxi rank, from where police were called.

Today Barry Hastewell, Perfect 10s owner, said the scene was “like a coconut shy”.

Costello is starting a 16-week jail term.

Prosecuting, Martine Connah said the manager was in the adult club on Lune Street at around midnight when a group of around 20 men came in in three groups and went to the booths upstairs.

A still from CCTVA still from CCTV
A still from CCTV
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She said: “Around 1am she had to ask them to keep the noise down. They were on a stag do. At 1.15am she heard the girls upstairs screaming and describes walking into chaos, with the men chanting and rapping.

“One girls said one of the men had thrown a glass and she saw smashed glass on the floor. The manager felt a cork hit her on back of head.”

The court heard the manager, feeling threatened, grabbed him by neck and pushed him towards steps because she wanted him to leave.

He still had a bottle in his hand and he screamed: “I will smash your ****ing face in with this champagne bottle.

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She added: “She allowed him to go down with the other men. At the bottom he swiped glasses off the bar.

“He picked up a pouffe and threatened to throw it at her so she hid behind the bar. He threw it and it hit the spirits, over 20 bottles, causing them and the display glasses to fall and smash.

“The mirror behind the bar was smashed. He threw a second pouffe and she ran through bar to nearest taxi firm where asked for police to be called.”

He admitted using threatening behaviour towards Stephanie Watson causing her to fear unlawful violence would be used, and criminal damage.

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When police arrived at the scene he had taken his top off and was going toward doorstaff.

He ran away and was found hiding in a stairwell at a block of flats.

In interview he made no comment.

Costello was told to take his hands from his pockets as he stood in the dock at Preston Magistrates’ Court. The bench said he had a £1,623 outstanding debt to the court for previous matters.

Michael Leach, defending, said he was genuinely remorseful towards his conduct.

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He said: “It was a few moments of stupidity, not just from him, but from each of them.

“If ever there was a recipe for disaster it’s a stag do, the night before the wedding, going to Perfect 10s.

“He said to me if he was sober he would never have spoken to a lady like that.

He’s out on a stag do and inevitably people are drunk.”

Costello was jailed for 16 weeks and was banned from the club for two years. He must pay an £80 surcharge and £150 court charge.

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Mr Hastewell, Perfect 10s owner, said: “We had just finished doing the revamp, the Saturday before. We couldn’t believe it.

“There were 18 lads but it was mainly him. Pushing a table over seemed to fuel him and he went towards the bar. He looked like he was at the fair throwing coconuts at something. He kept throwing glasses.”

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