Worksop man punched fellow drinker who mentioned past child-rape allegations

Daniel Cooper bought the man a drink and chatted with him in the smoking area of the Kilton Inn, at 10pm on January 17 said prosecutor Neil Hollett.

But when the man mentioned he had been accused of serious sex crimes ten years previously, Cooper told him to "f*** off" before punching him.

Other drinkers in the pub said he deserved it when he reported the attack to staff. And when Cooper was arrested he told police: "I did hit him because he said he had been accused of raping children." The allegation was denied by the victim who has not been before the court, Mr Hollett added.

The court heard Cooper has previous convictions for violence, including an assault from April 2021, but before that there was an eight-year gap in his offending.

Ben Brown, mitigating, said Cooper became upset when his victim told him he had been accused of raping children. “It was not a wholly-unprovoked assault,” he said. “He was essentially making light of some serious allegations.

"Mr Cooper waited for the police to turn up and in fact apologised to his victim. He wasn’t heavily intoxicated and he wasn't out looking for a fight. He is regretful he behaved in that manner.”

Cooper, aged 32, of Kilton Road, Worksop, admitted common assault when he appeared at Mansfield Magistrates Court. He was fined £300 and ordered to pay £85 costs, a £120 surcharge, and £100 compensation.