Man jailed after violent attack in Mablethorpe chemists

Samuel Butterworth, 32, formerly of George Street in Mablethorpe, went to the Boots the Chemists store in Mablethorpe High Street demanding to see his former partner Tanya Madigan.

Phil Howes, prosecuting, said that the store manager Hayley Bentley tried to reason with Butterworth but he became aggressive shouting “get her here now. I’m going to kill her”.

Butterworth twice pushed Ms Bentley against a display stand and she fell to the floor.

The store pharmacist Malcolm Bracey-Lambert went to assist but Butterworth, who was slurring his speech, turned on him punching him hard to the right side of the face.

The blow knocked Mr Bracey-Lambert to the floor and he was left with blood pouring from his nose.

Butterworth was asked to leave but continued swearing and then delivered a further blow to the pharmacist who was still laid on the floor.

Mr Bracey-Lambert suffered fractures to his cheekbone and eye socket. He later underwent an operation to have three titanium plates inserted around his eye.

Butterworth, now living in Halifax, admitted charges of inflicting grievous bodily harm and assault by beating arising from the incident on January 12 this year.

He was jailed for 18 months, and given an indefinite restraining order banning him from contact with Tanya Madigan, Hayley Bentley, and Malcolm Bracey-Lambert. He has also been banned from entering the Boots store in High Street, Mablethorpe.

Judge Michael Heath, passing sentence, said: “To go into a shop and behave as you did is absolutely outrageous. This must have been a very frightening situation. The only possible sentence I can justify for it is custody.”

Mark Van der Zwart, defending, said Butterworth was truly remorseful and apologised for what he did.

He said there had been problems between Butterworth and his ex resulting in false allegations being made against him.

“The complaint was quite quickly shown to be incorrect and false”, he said.

Mr Van der Zwart said that on the day of the incident Butterworth had taken prescribed medication and been drinking.

He added that Butterworth is now in a new relationship and has moved out of Mablethorpe.