Log In

Reset Password
BERMUDA | RSS PODCAST

Breaking bar manager's nose earns man a year in prison

A banned yacht club patron lashed out and broke a committee member’s nose when told to leave the premises, Supreme Court heard.Jahdal Denbrook already had a history of violence before he attacked Dimitri Broadley after the victim told him to leave the East End Mini Yacht Club.Denbrook was banned from the Convict Bay, St George’s club after a disciplinary hearing in March 2009, but came back late on the night of July 10, 2010.His attack on Mr Broadley was caught on CCTV and viewed by Chief Justice Richard Ground before he jailed Denbrook for a year.“My lord is in a rare position to actually see the incident for himself,” observed prosecutor Kirsty-Ann Kiellor as she played the tape.Denbrook, a 20-year-old labourer from St George, admitted causing Mr Broadley, 41, grievous bodily harm. The two are neighbours on Bourne Drive in the town.According to Ms Kiellor, when Mr Broadley told Denbrook to leave the club due to the ban, he retorted: “You move me.”“I don’t have to,” replied Mr Broadley before going into a storage room to call police.The CCTV showed Denbrook following Mr Broadley into the room, which was lined with glass bottles, and blocking him in as he launched a verbal protest.According to defence lawyer Charles Richardson, Denbrook had never been notified of the ban and was questioning why he was being told to leave.Next, he could be seen on the video hitting Mr Broadley hard in the chest before punching him repeatedly in the face.Another member of staff could be seen entering the storeroom and pulling Denbrook away. Mr Broadley picked up the phone and the staff member attempted to restrain Denbrook as an object flew past Mr Broadley.Denbrook managed to get back into the room and hit the victim in the head once again. He left, but entered for a third time to continue the verbal assault before walking off.In addition to a broken nose, Mr Broadley suffered swelling to his face and eyes and an abrasion to his knee.“It’s clear from the CCTV that the defendant was the aggressor throughout all this,” said Ms Kiellor.Denbrook has previous convictions including an attack on a member of the public in 2006.The Royal Gazette reported at the time that Denbrook assaulted his friend Rodney Burchall, a bus driver, for staring at his girlfriend. Mr Burchall was left with concussion.Denbrook admitted assault and was sentenced to three years of probation. He has further convictions for assaulting police and violently resisting arrest in 2007 and uttering offensive words and violently resisting arrest in 2009.He was punished with a mixture of fines and suspended sentences for those crimes. He was still serving a suspended sentence when he attacked Mr Broadley.Ms Kiellor said: “Society needs to be protected from persons like the defendant who has a proven record of being of a violent disposition.”Defence lawyer Mr Richardson said the defendant and victim have bad blood between them, and Denbrook feels Mr Broadley, who has worked at various St George drinking venues, has been bullying him.“It was very heated, he accepts that; he feels that he has been picked on repeatedly by Mr Broadley,” he said of the incident. “My client is remorseful that it came to this.”Mr Justice Ground meted out a nine-month sentence for the attack.He also activated the three-month suspended sentence Denbrook got for violently resisting arrest. The sentences will follow each other, giving a total of 12 months behind bars.“I think you started it,” he said of the yacht club attack. “You can see you pursuing him into the room. I appreciate that he did hit back at you, but what came afterwards was over-the-top. It was very violent.”