Pryzm: 'Thuggish' Leeds teenager fractured nightclub bouncer's jaw with 'haymaker' punch

Aaron Logue, of St Wilfrids Avenue in Harehills, was at PRYZM nightclub on Woodhouse Lane with his friends just weeks after his 18th birthday when he punched the member of door security staff in the early hours of December 14, 2021. Logue – now 19 – pleaded guilty to one count of grievous bodily harm and was handed a nine month suspended sentence at Leeds Crown Court today (Wednesday).

Representing the prosecution, Louise Catherine Pryke told the court that the victim spotted Logue arguing with a group of girls in the club when he went to intervene. Then at 2am he saw Logue “being aggressive” towards another group of girls and stepped in again, telling Logue: “This is the second time I have had to speak to you. You need to go.”

The complainant and two other bouncers worked together to try to evict Logue, who was holding on to a door frame and “tensing up” to make the job difficult. When outside, one of the bouncers slipped and fell on the floor, which caused Logue to also fall on his face.

Ms Pryke said that Logue then “got up and threw a haymaker punch to the face of the victim”, who was taken to hospital. The bouncer suffered multiple fractures to his jaw bone, cheek bone and eye socket and had “flattening to the side of his face”. The victim declined to receive cosmetic surgery for the damage, meaning he will “always have a different face”.

In mitigation, Shila Whitehead said that Logue had shown remorse for the attack and had not been in trouble with police before or since. She added that at the time of the incident he had just turned 18 and was “not able to hold his alcohol”.

Sentencing Logue, Judge Thomas Bayliss KC said: “Your behaviour was thuggish, irresponsible and caused a man who was only doing his job to suffer really serious injuries. No one working, as the victim was here, trying to keep order in our public houses should be subject to violent behaviour like this.”

Logue received a nine month sentence suspended for two years and ordered to carry 200 hours of unpaid work.