Leadgate man claimed attack on hotel worker was lawful self-defence
Christian Lee Jopling ran from a room on the fifth floor of the Leonardo Hotel, formerly the Jury's Inn, on Old Scotswood Road, Newcastle, catching the attention of the housekeeper working in the corridor, on January 8, last year. Newcastle Crown Court was told Jopling, previously of Leadgate, near Consett, asked the hotel worker: "What the f*** are you looking at?"
Chris Baker, prosecuting, said Jopling grabbed the arm of the housekeeper, who was placing items onto a trolley, and then ran to the end of the corridor. The housekeeper assumed Jopling had fled downstairs and went along the corridor himself but saw the defendant near to the stair well. Mr Baker said Jopling shouted to him: "Keep going, you f***ing n*****" and was asked what he had said.
Jopling then punched him and grabbed at the sides of his head as if trying to gouge his eyelids with the thumb of each hand, pressing them with force. He then pushed him down and repeatedly punched him while the hotel worker lay on the floor. The incident had been reported to the manager who went up to see his employee against the wall, with his hands out as if cowering, with Jopling stepping away from him.
He walked between the pair as Jopling seemed to be continuing to try to get to the complainant. Jopling then grabbed a vodka bottle and raised it above his head as if he was going to hit one of them with it, but then shouted: "Let me out the f***ing building." He ran past the two men and the manager suggested to his staff member that they should leave that area of the hotel before ringing for the police.
The employee headed to the first floor, where there was a further confrontation with Jopling, who punched him again to the face, causing further bloodshed. He was taken to hospital suffering a laceration to the inner upper lip and significant swelling to the lower lip and face.
Both eyes had reddening, with some inner haemorrhaging, but the court heard that no long-term damage was caused. Mr Baker said when Jopling was arrested and interviewed he denied being the aggressor and claimed to have acted in lawful self-defence, having been racially abused, himself. The victim said the incident left him feeling unsafe to leave his home address, and when he did so he suffered panic attacks if any white men approached him.
He said he thought his place of work was a safe environment but had to take time off and went back to stay with his family in the Midlands in the immediate aftermath of the incident. Mr Baker said in a later statement the victim said the incident had caused him a lot of stress and each eighth day of a month brought memories of the attack flooding back. The court heard he felt in, "a dark place" and had sought counselling.
Jopling, 28, only admitted a charge of racially aggravated assault on the day of his scheduled trial, in November, since when he has remained in custody. Mr Baker said Jopling was convicted for battery and carrying a bladed article, in July 2022, arising from an attack on a female dating from the previous Boxing Day, and received a suspended prison sentence. But he was in breach of that sentence in April last year and eight months were activated, while he also received a further ten months in September, for an assault and criminal damage, committed while on bail for the hotel attack.
Kelly Clarke, in mitigation, said, having spoken to the defendant prior to the hearing, he now accepts "full responsibility" for his offending, for which he has been in custody since April last year. She said while in prison he has been able to access help from the mental health and alcohol/drug misuse services available. Miss Clarke said he has taken up places on work-related courses and hopes to be able to assist his mother looking after his brother, who suffered bad injuries in a road crash, upon his release.
Recorder Nathan Adams said despite his apparent admission of "full responsibility" when speaking to his counsel, the defendant told the author of a Probation Service report only a week ago that he had acted in self-defence. See more court reports from The Northern Echo by clicking here[1] Man denies assaulting woman on Boxing Day near Consett[2]
Reaction after conviction of two teens for Gordon Gault manslaughter[3] Blackhall men jailed for attempted robbery at Horden shop[4] Get more from The Northern Echo with a Premium Plus digital subscription from as little as only GBP1.50 a week. Click here.[5]
"It's quite clear you showed no remorse even then," Recorder Adams told Jopling.
"This was a sustained, nasty, racially aggravated assault on a member of hotel staff just going about his business."
Imposing the 12-month prison sentence, he told Jopling that he could not suspend it, given the, "particularly nasty nature of the attack", plus the level of psychological harm it has caused the complainant.
References
- ^ clicking here (www.thenorthernecho.co.uk)
- ^ Man denies assaulting woman on Boxing Day near Consett (www.thenorthernecho.co.uk)
- ^ Reaction after conviction of two teens for Gordon Gault manslaughter (www.thenorthernecho.co.uk)
- ^ Blackhall men jailed for attempted robbery at Horden shop (www.thenorthernecho.co.uk)
- ^ Click here. (www.thenorthernecho.co.uk)