Legal News

Beaten father wins compensation
Wed 11th Mar 09 - 16:22

A Teesside man has been awarded almost £10,000 compensation after being beaten unconscious at a leisure centre in front of his family.

Stephen Canham, from Billingham, was holidaying at a Bridlington campsite with his wife and two daughters when the incident happened in May 2006. The 39-year-old postman claimed a bouncer grabbed him by the throat and punched him in front of his children.

Mr Canham's legal team won £9,250 from the club which employed the bouncers.

The ordeal began as he enjoyed a drink in the Makis Leisure Complex bar with his wife when his chair slipped, knocking the table behind. A female customer later complained he had spilt her drink.

Mr Canham said he did not realise there was an issue until two security staff approached him and asked him to leave. He said: "My wife went to collect my youngest daughter from the stage, while I went to the amusement arcade to collect my eldest.

"The next thing I knew one of the bouncers grabbed me by the throat and punched me in the face. The other bouncer grabbed my arm while the other continued to punch me."

Mr Canham said he was knocked to the ground and kicked unconscious. He said his daughters, now aged 12 and six, were traumatised by what they saw.

James Reilly, Associate at Ralli, added: "We sued the club who employed the bouncers for vicarious liability and we recovered £9,250. Up until then they had disputed liability."

No-one from Makis Leisure Complex was available for comment.