Man jailed for shocking attack on female licensee

A thug who launched a premeditated and vicious attack on a well-known 61-year-old female pub boss after he was barred has been jailed for 18 months.
Winstons, Barrowford. Photo: GoogleWinstons, Barrowford. Photo: Google
Winstons, Barrowford. Photo: Google

Gym worker Rudi Lockett (26) was on licence from prison and had been on a drink and drugs binge when he targeted Catherine Tattersall, licensee of Winston’s Private Club in Gisburn Road, Barrowford.

She was on her own at the end of the night and he had checked to make sure she was. The defendant had hurled a pizza into the grandmother’s face and repeatedly punched her, telling his victim – who had known him since he was a boy: “I’ve nowt to lose, I’m going down anyway.”

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Mrs Tattersall is a long-standing member of the Barrowford Show committee and judges children’s pets at the event. She suffered two black and bloodshot eyes, swelling to her face and nose, cuts and swelling to her forehead, a lump to her temple and was left with headaches after the unprovoked violence on May 16th.

Lockett, who has long record for violence and is a convicted money launderer, had admitted assault causing actual bodily harm before the magistrates, but denied the punches. A trial over the facts had been held and the justices found he did hit Mrs Tattersall. The defendant, of Stott Street, Nelson, was then committed for sentence.

Prosecutor Paul Brookwell told the court Mrs Tattersall had known Lockett for 20 years. She had previously barred him from the club after Pub Watch meetings and what she’d heard about his behaviour.

About 2-30am, she was sitting at the bar, chatting with the new landlord and landlady of the nearby White Bear pub and was about to lock up. The new landlord’s son, Stephen Metcalfe, had seen the defendant outside and came up the stairs into the club and told the victim he had just seen him kick the door. The defendant had said he wanted to talk to Mrs Tattersall.

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Mr Brookwell said the victim went down to see what was happening. He continued: “The defendant had a pizza box with him and he was smoking and sitting on a window sill near the front door. It is the prosecution case he engaged in conversation to a degree. He asked her who else was in the bar upstairs, he asked her why he was not allowed in the premises and the assault began by him throwing the pizza box in her face. He then struck her head with his fist, knocking her against the stairs she had just come down and then stood over her as he continually punched her, she says some six times.”

The prosecutor said Lockett was later interviewed by police, accepted throwing a pizza but denied any punching.

The defendant had 14 offences on his record, including battery, affray and wounding and had served time. In October 2013, Lockett, then living in Barrowford, was jailed for 30 months for fraud and money laundering in a £400,000 advertising scam.

Isobel Thomas (defending) said he had been living in the community for five months on licence at the time of the offence and had been working at a gym. He had gone on a binge, drinking and taking drugs. Miss Thomas said Lockett had wanted to carry on drinking, found the White Bear closed and went next door to Winston’s. He wanted to ask why he had been barred.

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Sentencing, Recorder Howard Bentham, QC, told the defendant: “In my view this was a serious assault. There was some degree of planning, it was at a pub, it was a female and she was elderly. You have a very bad record.” A two year restraining order, to keep Lockett away from the victim, was also imposed.

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