FORMER Chester City FC owner Stephen Vaughan has been jailed after a judge blasted his drunken “cowardly attack” on a police officer.
Vaughan, 49, sat anxiously in the dock as details emerged of the "nasty" unprovoked attack on PC Gregory Dutton who was punched twice and floored in a fit of "fury and aggression" by the former Blues owner.
Vaughan claimed the incident on the driveway of his Wirral home on April 4, which left PC Dutton with a fractured cheekbone, was prompted by the “tremendous stress and pressure” during the financial stresses and backlash of his time spent as owner of the then Chester City FC. Ultimately Vaughan had turned to drink and on the evening of the attack was so drunk he was hardly able to stand, Liverpool Community Justice Centre heard.
Vaughan, who pleaded guilty to assault causing grievous bodily harm, appeared alongside son Stephen Vaughan Jnr, 26, both of Thurstaston Road, Heswall and son-in-law Paul Garner, 30, of Millfield, Neston, both of whom were sentenced to a six month community order and ordered to carry out 120 hours of community service for public order offences relating to the incident involving Vaughan Snr.
Despite Vaughan Jnr and Garner having no physical involvement in the assault, both were present and reported to have been encouraging Vaughan Snr, the court was told.
PC Dutton had parked on the driveway at the Vaughan family home to carry out a routine address check on Vaughan Jnr who was in the back of the police car with Garner after the pair were stopped and questioned about an earlier disturbance at the Jug and Bottle pub in Heswall.
Prosecuting Mr Parry Jones told how Vaughan Snr had run out his front door and confronted PC Dutton hurling a string of expletives. Despite asking Vaughan Snr to calm down, PC Dutton was forced to use a palm heel procedure to stop Vaughan before the defendant lashed out.
“This followed a violent struggle. The officer was left in a daze, ” Mr Jones said.
Describing Vaughan’s behaviour as like a "bull in an alleyway" Judge David Spencer jailed the Liverpool businessman for 15 months and told him: “This was a nasty, cowardly incident involving a police officer doing his job in uniform.
"In you go Stephen Vaughan Snr...angry and drunk, taking out all sorts of negative conceptions you may have about the way in which police operate in this country and in the course of that behaviour the police officer had to push you away before you punched him.
"It was cowardly, in a location where the officer had no point of contact, he was dazed and confused and staggered down the driveway and had to flag down a member of the public for help.
“This sits very uneasily with me.”
Pleading against a prison term for Vaughan Snr Anthony Barrowclough, defending, said: “The question is do we send this man to jail, or do we impose a suspended sentence in which he is able to give constructively to he community?
"Mr Vaughan has recently set up his own boxing promoting business and believes he could use this to help young people in the community.”