One-shoed drunk jailed after attacking rail staff with Chanel bottle

A drunk passenger who tried to board a train while wearing only one shoe launched a violent attack on railway staff and police after being refused travel. Kyle Vaughan used a bottle of Chanel perfume to strike a security guard before “hissing and snarling” at employees and threatening to slit their throats during a confrontation at Wallasey Grove Road Railway Station.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that British Transport Police were called on November 10 last year after reports that Vaughan was intoxicated, abusive and refusing to leave the station having been denied access to the Merseyrail network. The 29-year-old, who has no fixed address, had a beer bottle and an aftershave bottle with him and was heavily drunk at the time.

Prosecutor Joanne Daniels told the court that Vaughan became increasingly aggressive after refusing to leave the premises, to the extent that some staff locked themselves inside the booking office. He hit security officer Mark Bailey in the face with the aftershave bottle before punching him. When detained on the ground, he attempted to bite guards, and as officers moved in to restrain him he kicked a police constable in the face, striking the officer in the eye and causing temporary blindness. Pepper spray was ultimately required to subdue him.

The court heard that it could not be determined whether Vaughan delivered the kick with his shoed or unshoed foot. The injured officer later reported bruising and swelling and described the incident as among the highest levels of aggression he had encountered in more than two years of service. Vaughan told detectives he could not fully recall events because of his level of intoxication. He has 24 previous convictions for 45 offences and had been fined by magistrates for trespassing during the same incident after climbing from the platform onto the tracks.

Mitigating, defence counsel Oliver Saddington told the court that Vaughan’s actions were linked to long-term struggles with alcohol, substance misuse and mental health difficulties, including references to symptoms of schizophrenia, as well as homelessness.

Oliver Saddington, defending, told the court:

"It is not every day that one sees a bottle of Eau de Chanel being used as weapon in these courts. It was frightening for the officers involved. Suffice to say, he wishes to apologise, through me, and expresses his remorse. This is a defendant who, for pretty much all of his life, has struggled with poor mental health. There are references to symptoms of schizophrenia. He was in drink. Long term substance misuse is something that he has struggled with. He knows that accommodation is a significant factor for him. He has been homeless for a significant period of time too. He finds that the combination of drinking or substance abuse goes hand in hand with his poor mental health and having nowhere to live. He does not want custody to simply be a revolving door for him for life. He would, in the long term, like to build a relationship with his grandfather, but he knows that he has got to work on improving himself before he does that."

Vaughan admitted assault, assaulting an emergency worker and possession of an offensive weapon in a public place. Appearing by video link from HMP Liverpool in a blue t-shirt with a shaved head, he was sentenced to 16 months in prison.

Passing sentence, Judge Gary Woodhall said Vaughan had escalated the situation into violence and subjected staff and police to sustained aggression that required the use of pepper spray.

Sentencing, Judge Gary Woodhall said:

"You refused to leave and became aggressive. Two security officers attended. Mark Bailey was one of them. He engaged with you. I have watched how these officers sought to placate you and calm you down. You refused. You struck Mark Bailey in the face with that bottle of aftershave then punched him in the face. Because you escalated this into the use of violence, you were taken to the ground and detained. You were, while on the ground, repeatedly aggressive towards those officers, hissing at them, snarling at them and threatening to slit their throats. You kicked the police constable in the face. The blow struck the officer in the eye. Footage clearly shows you being extremely aggressive throughout, such that police had to pepper spray you to get you to calm down. You were unable to recollect the incident because of the substances you had consumed but, to your credit, made admissions to your behaviour. What is clear is that you have a history of mental health problems, although no formal diagnosis yet. You have a history of substance misuse. There is a poor history of poor engagement with those trying to assist you when in the community."

Image: British Transport Police