Shrewsbury man receives five-year town pub ban
A man jailed for assaulting people at two pubs in Shrewsbury, has been issued with a five-year ban by the town’s Pubwatch scheme.
Neil Brian Smillie, aged 40, from Shrewsbury, is barred from entering any pubs, clubs or other licensed premises belonging to the successful scheme.
The Pubwatch decision follows the decision by Shrewsbury magistrates to impose a two-year Licensed Premises Exclusion Order on Smillie, preventing him from entering licensed premises in general.
The two bans follow incidents at the Rock and Fountain and Albion Inn pubs in Castle Foregate, Shrewsbury.
Smillie appeared before Shrewsbury magistrates court earlier this month when he was jailed for a total of three months and made the subject of a Licensed Premises Exclusion Order.
He admitted assaulting a woman at the Rock and Fountain on April 9, receiving a three month prison sentence. He also admitted assaulting two members of staff at the Albion on March 3, receiving a one-month sentence on each, running concurrently with the three months.
Shropshire’s head of CID, Detective Chief Inspector Alan Edwards welcomed the exclusion order and the Pubwatch ban.
He said: “Pub customers and staff are entitled to socialise and to go about their business without fear of disorder or violence. Banning offenders from pubs and other licensed premises is an effective punishment on top of other penalties imposed by the court – a jail sentence in this particular case.
“The investigating officer, PC Darren Holmes applied to the magistrates for a Licensed Premises Exclusion Order and I am delighted they saw fit to grant a two-year order.”
DCI Edwards added: “I am determined violent people are dealt with sufficiently to deter their behaviour. Under the banning orders, police officers will be able to deal with them should they even enter a licensed premise.”
Police Constable David Walton, who helped set up Shrewsbury Pubwatch, said the scheme had been a big success since being launched 18 months ago.
“It has a zero tolerance policy towards offences of violence, theft and drugs in member premises. This firm stance has led to 300 people currently being barred or made subject to Acceptable Behaviour Contracts which, in turn, has led to a significant decrease in violent crime.”
