Rowdy attack left customers hurt and a pub counting the cost
A court has jailed a 22-year-old man for two years after a violent episode at The Stork Hotel in Birkenhead left two people injured, a police officer spat at, and a landlord facing more than £1,100 in repair bills.
Joshua Nolan, from Green Lane in South Shields, was drinking alone at the pub on 20 July when CCTV and witness accounts say he became increasingly aggressive. The situation escalated when he picked up a brick and hurled it through an ornate window at the premises.
Customers who intervened to restrain Nolan were bitten. One man, named in court as Christopher Matthews, was bitten on the nose and subsequently required Hepatitis B injections. Another customer, Ian Moore, tried to hold Nolan down but had his ring finger bitten. Merseyside Police used PAVA incapacitant spray to detain Nolan, after which he spat a mixture of saliva, blood and the spray into the face of PC Sanderson.
- Incident date: 20 July
- Defendant: Joshua Nolan, 22, of Green Lane, South Shields
- Sentence: Two years in prison
- Damage to pub: Ornate window costing over £1,100 to repair
- Previous record: 17 convictions for 29 offences
The landlady, Joanne Ireland, told the court the damage and the violent scenes had harmed her business. She said customers had been put off returning and she had lost regulars as a result of the incident.
"The incident had left customers not wanting to come back, as it gave it a bad name," the landlady said.
Prosecutor Iain Criddle described the biting as "a nasty and unpleasant way of inflicting an injury on someone" during the hearing at Liverpool Crown Court. The court heard Nolan arrived in Birkenhead after doing some work at a shipyard, and his lawyer said Nolan had limited recollection of the night and wished to apologise.
Consequences for a local venue and wider concerns about disorder
The Stork Hotel, like many pubs across the Wirral, depends on regulars and a steady evening trade. The landlady’s evidence that regular customers stayed away following the attack underlines how violent incidents can ripple out to affect staff livelihoods and the local night-time economy.
Sentencing took into account Nolan’s previous record. He had been subject to a suspended sentence at the time of the attack and carried a history that included convictions for criminal damage, assaults on officers and affray.
The judge imposed a two-year custodial term and ordered a five-year restraining order banning Nolan from returning to the pub, a measure Nolan did not oppose. His lawyer told the court his client was "pretty appalled" by his own behaviour and keen to return to the north east.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Physical injuries | Nose bite requiring Hepatitis B injections; ring finger bitten |
| Property damage | Ornate window — over £1,100 to repair |
| Police action | Use of PAVA spray; officer spat at |
| Sentence | Two years' imprisonment; five-year restraining order |
For locals, the case is a reminder of how quickly an evening out can turn dangerous and of the toll that violent incidents take on community spaces. Pub staff and patrons who stepped in to restrain Nolan were hurt trying to prevent further harm — and the business now faces the twin problems of repair costs and rebuilding trust with its customers.
Although the defendant showed some remorse through his legal representative, the court record shows a pattern of offending that attracted a custodial sentence this time. The five-year ban from The Stork Hotel will prevent him returning to the premises as part of the court’s attempt to offer the pub some protection and reassure its regulars.
Local residents concerned about anti-social behaviour or incidents in pubs and on the streets are encouraged to report matters to Merseyside Police so that offences can be investigated and businesses supported where possible.
