Greggs Boar Lane: Thug breaks manager's jaw in Leeds city centre over 10-minute pizza wait
A Greggs manager was left needing surgery after a drunken thug attacked him because of a 10-minute wait for a slice of pizza.
The man had his jaw broken by Deniss Samsonovs when he lashed out at him in the Boar Lane shop.
Samsonovs was given a suspended sentence this week at Leeds Crown Court after admitting a charge of Section 20 GBH.
He had entered the shop shortly before 3pm on March 2 last year.
The 22-year-old was with two friends and was drunk, prosecutor Heather Gilmore told the court.
Approaching the counter, he asked how long it would take for a “f****** pizza”, and was told they would be cooked in 10 minutes.
He said he wanted it now but was told to leave and would not be served due to his aggressive behaviour. He approached the manager and aimed a punch at him.
The victim punched him back and Samsonovs’ friend was alleged to have joined in.
Samsonovs threw four punches in a matter of seconds. The police were called and arrested the men.
Samsonovs said during his police interview that he had been drunk and could not remember the incident.
The worker went to hospital and required surgery to fit metal plates into his fractured jaw. Two of his teeth were also loose.
Samsonovs, of North Leys Road, Hull, has no previous convictions.
Mitigating, Matthew Moore-Taylor said the incident was “spontaneous” and lasted just “nine or 10 seconds”.
He said: “The first thing he remembers is waking up in the cell. It’s plain he had too much to drink.”
He said Samsonovs was now “terrified” to drink because of the incident. He said he wanted to apologise to the Greggs worker and was remorseful.
Mr Moore-Taylor said Samsonovs had a promising job fixing wind-turbine blades in Hull.
The judge, Recorder Brian Whitehead gave him an eight-month sentence, suspended for 18 months, and 150 hours of unpaid work.
He also ordered him to pay £1,500 compensation to the victim.