Georgia Ward was told she couldn't drink at one of her local pubs
(Image: Cavendish Press)

"Go back to your own country": Barmaid, 28, ordered to pay bouncer £100 after she hurled 2am racist abuse at him

by · Manchester Evening News

A barmaid who hurled racist abuse at a security guard has been ordered to pay him £100 in compensation. Georgia Ward, 28, told bouncer Agab Nazzal, "F****ing Romanian, go back to your own country" after he told her that she was barred from one of her local pubs.

A court heard how, Ward, who worked behind the bar of another pub had been banned from entering Marlborough Arms in Chester a week earlier after an incident in which she overreacted to a man ‘coming on' to her.

On the night of the racist tirade, she had been drinking at a nearby pub called the Havana bar with a former pub manager who she had met that evening. The pair decide to go for a nightcap at the Marlborough which is where everything took place at around 2am.

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At Chester magistrates court, Ward of Chester was convicted of racially aggravated harassment and was also ordered to complete 120 hours of unpaid work. John-Isaac Thompson, 33, also from Chester and who worked as a manager of a bar in Manchester was convicted of threatening behaviour and was made to pay £50 in compensation, ordered to complete 80 hours of unpaid work.

Both were each ordered to pay £439 in costs and a surcharge.

The incident occurred on November 15 last year when former flight dispatcher Mr Nazzal, from Ellesmere Port, and who is fluent in German and Arabic was walking towards the Marlborough having finished a shift the Popcorn pub when he noticed Ward and Thompson arguing outside with a colleague who works for the same door security company.

Miss Tara Thomas, prosecuting, said: “He saw both defendants shouting and swearing at a colleague working as a doorman in the public house. The complainant has tried to assist in preventing both defendants accessing the public house after they were refused entry.

“It was found that the defendant Miss Ward had shouted a racial comment towards the complainant, words to the effect of ‘F****ing Romanian, go back to your own country.’ Mr Thompson was found guilty a public order offence - but not of the racially aggravated comment.

“Both of the defendants are of previous good character. There are no convictions recorded against them.''

A probation worker who spoke to Thompson told the court: ''He had been at a works function in the afternoon at Havana in Chester, drinking and eating at a buffet meal between 2pm and 6pm. “After that finished he went into a bar in Chester where he met a friend. He stayed there till 11pm and that was where he met Miss Ward, a friend of his friend.

“He had never met Miss Ward previous to the occasion. They returned to Havana and stayed till it closed at 2am and they then went to the Marlborough Arms. Miss Ward was denied entry to the pub after being told that she was barred but the doorman became aggressive towards Miss Ward to which Mr Thompson reacted verbally aggressively. On reflection he is ashamed of that but the reason he did this is he has worked in the industry and did not believe that the doorman was acting appropriately on that occasion.

“He did appear remorseful and recognised the harm caused.”

John-Isaac Thompson who was involved in the incident.

The probation officer said that Thompson had been employed for three years as a general manager of a Stonegates pub in Manchester but had recently given it up to move back in with his parents in Chester.

“Whilst he worked as general manager in Manchester, he did drink to excess in the course of each night after finishing his shift," the probation worker said. “He has reduced his alcohol intake dramatically after moving back with his parents.

Speaking on behalf of herself, Ward said: “Obviously I apologise to any victim for my behaviour. There is no excuse, but a lot of stress, financial and home things are factors of it. There are no excuses. I have cut down a lot on alcohol in the last year. I will take any help offered to me going forward.”

Asked by the magistrates about being barred from the pub, she said she believed that referred to an incident the week before outside the pub, on the corner, when she was “very intoxicated” and reacted to a man a “coming on towards me”.

She added: “That is the only thing I can think of. “That is why I was questioned by the doorman at the time. They were not giving me a reason. They do not have to, I know that now, but that is where it stems from.”

For father of one Thompson defence solicitor Peter Barnett ''There was gesturing and he said, ‘You are not fit to wear the badge’ and may have used an expletive but there was no force and no physical aspect at all. He accepts he went beyond what was reasonable. He had been on a works night out and accepts he drank far too much which is why his judgement was lacking on that occasion. ''

Sentencing JP Charles Platt said: “Mr Thompson, you say you were not happy with the bouncer’s way he carried out his duties. But being in the state you were in because of the excessive alcohol you might not have been in the best position to make a judgement. Miss Ward you were convicted of a racial element to your behaviour and the court takes that seriously. For that reason your sentence has been uplifted.

“Make sure that you carry these things out diligently. The court has placed a punishment on you and it intends that you do it regularly as required. If you do not do it you will be brought back to court and you will go downhill from there.”