Manchester pub where bouncer attacked a man and another man was stabbed is allowed to reopen

A pub where a bouncer delivered a ‘flying kick’ to a man and security staff failed to stop a fight on its doorstep which escalated into a stabbing will be allowed to reopen. The Levenshulme Pub on Stockport Road has been closed since a violent incident in the early hours of Saturday, December 3 which saw a man rushed to hospital after being stabbed in the abdomen.

Manchester city council chiefs had immediately suspended the licence of the venue, pending a full review which took place last Thursday (December 29).

Councillors were told that the landlady at the pub had also had a ‘clump of hair’ pulled out as she tried to break up the fight, and windows at the building had been ‘put through’.

According to documents submitted by the police, CCTV footage showed that the incident was sparked by a verbal argument between two men outside the pub, in which one threw a drink over the other and then punched him in the face. Two security staff could be seen in the doorway of the pub doing ‘nothing’ to de-escalate the fight taking place in front of them.

A man wearing a tan-coloured jacket and cap is seen to get an object from the back of his trouser waistband, before making a stabbing motion towards the victim’s abdomen area, according to the report.

Moments earlier, the victim’s partner who was filming door staff on his mobile phone received a ‘flying kick’ to the head from a doorman who punched him ‘numerous times’ before both bouncers drove away, the GMP report added. The victim’s injuries were not life threatening, according to the police.

PC Alan Isherwood told Thursday’s meeting that a number of crimes had been logged from the night, including violent disorder and a Section 18 crime of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

“There was an incident that had occurred just on the doorstep where a fight broke out between several people and the door staff who were doing nothing really,” he added.

He said this ‘escalates’ into one of the door staff running at the man who was filming on his mobile phone, and proceeding to assault him. 

“The landlady of the pub was assaulted herself trying to separate some people, and also criminal damage as windows were put through,” PC Isherwood added.

Representing Stonegate which owns the Craft Union Pub Company that The Levenshulme belongs to, Graeme Cushion told the meeting that the circumstances on the night had produced a ‘perfect storm’.

“This is not the way that Stonegate would like to see their businesses perform,” he said. “It goes without saying we have replaced the door team. This incident was from the DPS’s (designated premises supervisor) perspective a bit of a perfect storm.

“A bunch of customers who initially seemed to be quite pleasant and enjoying an evening became difficult at the end.

“Then the whole situation exacerbated by a disappointing failure on behalf of the door team, followed by a complete overreaction and this from door staff who were properly accredited. These were properly badged door staff who very disappointingly didn’t behave as one would expect.”

Announcing the decision of the committee, Councillor Carmine Grimshaw said they would allow the pub to reopen but with stricter licensing conditions.

These included all members of door staff wearing body cameras at all times and hourly toilet checks.

Councillors also introduced set closing times of 11.30pm, Monday to Wednesday, and 1.30am, Thursday to Sunday.