A Hove man has been cleared of a racially aggravated attack on a member of door staff at a bar – and of assaulting one of his colleagues.
A jury at Hove Crown Court was told that Anas Elbouanani tried to enter the bar when drunk and became violent and aggressive when he was turned away.
They were told that Elbouanani, 50, of Bramber Court, in Eaton Gardens, Hove, spat at one of the door staff while hurling a racist insult at him.
Elbouanani, also known as Michael Awase de Bourgogne, then elbowed the other, Hove Crown Court was told.
Gareth Burrows, prosecuting, said that Elbouanani came out of the Londis convenience store, in Church Road, Hove, and wanted to go into the neighbouring Gin Tub but was refused entry.
He sat on one of the chairs outside but a member of the door staff, Ioan Razor, told him that he would have to leave.
Mr Burrows said that Elbouanani was screaming and shouting and behaving aggressively and, as the door staff tried to move him on, he elbowed the other, John Atkins, in the face.
Elbouanani strugged to remember what had happened, saying that he had been taking medications and became intoxicated after his drink had been spiked.
Brian Shaw, defending, reiterated Elbouanani’s evidence that the behaviour, such as the accusation of spitting, would have been out of character.
He said that Elbouanani did not have to give evidence but went into the witness box voluntarily where he was cross-examined about the incident in August 2020.
Mr Razor had earlier told the jury that Elbouanani threw a punch at him but it didn’t land – and he tried to bite his hand but he didn’t manage to.
Mr Atkins said that he thought that the punch had landed and Mr Burrows said in his closing submissions that, despite quite natural differences in their recollections, both witnesses were entirely credible.
Mr Burrows told the jury: “This is a very peculiar trial for this reason … the defendant said that I don’t know whether I spat at him. All I can tell you is that that doesn’t sound like me.”
Elbouanani tried to stifle sobs in the dock as the jury returned not guilty verdicts on three counts of assaulting the two men, one of them a racially aggravated assault.
They reached their unanimous verdicts after about 15 minutes – after which the judge, Recorder Lisa Goddard, told Elbouanani that he was free to go.
