A BOXING Day drinking session ended in a police cell for a former Carlisle businessman who got drunk and then punched two women at a pub.

William Lee, 43, who subsequently had no memory of his bad behaviour at the Grey Goat pub in Penrith last year, punched one women in the face after touching her bottom and then punched a second woman when she protested.

At Carlisle’s Rickergate Magistrates’ Court, the defendant, now living at the Lakeland View Caravan Site, Penrith, admitted two assaults by beating.

George Shelley, prosecuting, said police first became aware of the defendant after staff at the Warehouse nightclub in Penrith contacted them on Boxing Day because Lee was drunk and refusing to accept that he would not be allowed in. “He was refused entry due to his level of intoxication,” said the prosecutor.

“The officers spent a considerable time listening to him and requesting that he leave the area.” Lee did eventually move on after a woman he knew spoke to him, and took him towards a nearby taxi rank.

But instead of taking a taxi home, he went into the nearby Grey Goat Pub. “While in the pub, he touched the bottom of one of the victims,” said Mr Shelley. As a result of this, a woman worker at the pub told Lee to leave.

It was as he was walking out of the pub that he first apologised to the woman – and then punched her in the face.

“The other victim saw this and shouted at him about his behaviour but he then punched her in the face before running away up the road,” said Mr Shelley.

The defendant was so drunk at the time he remembered nothing of what he had done, the court heard. Lee was last convicted of an offence, the court heard, when he was prosecuted for animal welfare offences.

Simon Farnsworth, for Lee, told magistrates: “Until September of last year, he had been married for 25 years to the same lady and they have four children together. But the marriage broke down. He’d run a carpet business successfully here in Carlisle but that failed, and he lost his house.”

Feeling upset on Boxing Day, Lee had gone out drinking, leaving home at 3pm and spending time with various strangers. “He has no recollection of why he became involved in this incident,” said the lawyer.

“He has literally no recollection – the next thing he knows was that he was in a police cell. He is remorseful and devastated by his actions but he apologises to these women. This was out of character.

“He accepts that he is suffering from some form of depression, having lost his home, his family and his job. He is now living back with his mum. He does not claim benefits and says he will get himself back on his own two feet.”

Presiding magistrate Nick Swinscoe said it must have been a frightening experience for the two victims. “We hear that at the time of this incident you were drunk – and that makes it worse,” said the magistrate.

But noting the defendant’s remorse, the magistrates imposed a 12-month community order, with 80 hours of unpaid work, a £114 victim surcharge, and £85 costs. He must also pay £100 compensation to one victim and £50 to the other.

Mr Farnsworth said that the defendant’s mum would settle her son’s debt to the court within the next 28 days.