Thug who punched woman outside pub in Worksop given restraining order

Thomas Strong attacked the woman in the beer garden of the Waterfront Pub on Bridge Place, Worksop, after he had been arguing with another woman in the early hours of August 8, 2023.

As his victim approached to confront him about his behaviour, Strong punched her forcefully to the face, causing her to fall backwards and strike her head on the floor.

He then causally walked away from the scene as drinkers and staff rushed to the woman’s aid.

She was later treated in hospital for facial injuries and suffered damage to her front teeth.

Strong, who was known to his victim, handed himself into police and later pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

The 31-year-old, of Castle Street, Worksop, appeared at Nottingham Crown Court for sentencing on Friday, March 1.

He was then made subject of a restraining order banning him from contacting the victim in any way for three years, while being made to pay £750 in compensation.

Strong was also given a one-year community order, including a requirement to complete a 31-day domestic violence programme, as well as 80 hours of unpaid work.

PC Chelsea Seals, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “This was a sickening attack. Strong is a large and powerfully built man who launched a vicious assault on a woman who was far smaller than him and had no real hope of defending herself.

“The CCTV footage of the incident shows him striking her with a hard punch to the face, causing her to fall backwards and hit her head on the floor.

“As we have seen in other cases in the past, the consequences of that fall could have been far more serious and resulted in an extremely serious injury.

“By his own admission Strong lost control of himself that night and lashed out at his victim. As this case demonstrates, anyone behaving in a similar way should also expect to end up before the courts.”