Ex-soldier threw punches at Burnley doormen

William Exton, now 20, was back in court after he swung at least six punches towards doormen at a Burnley bar and put up a “vigorous” struggle with police. He was eventually placed on his front, handcuffed and taken to the police station in a secure van after the incident on May 24th. The outburst put him in breach of a conditional discharge.

In October 2013, Exton had got a suspended sentence for affray, after a fracas at the New Black Bull, in Mill Street, Padiham. A customer was left seriously injured in the melee in September 2012. The defendant had breached the suspended term and had been convicted of being drunk and disorderly twice since.

Exton committed the string of offences while serving in the Army. His solicitor Dylan Bradshaw told Judge Beverley Lunt he had now left and she responded: “I’m not surprised.”

The defendant, of Thames Avenue, Burnley, had been convicted, on June 9th by magistrates, of using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour, in breach of a conditional discharge, imposed by the crown court in February, last year. He had been committed for sentence by the lower court.

Judge Lunt said she wanted a probation report before she sentenced the defendant on August 25th. She said she wanted to know how Exton had done on an unpaid work order. The judge continued :” I’m not having behaviour like this.” She added: “It’s either going to be another chance or you are going to prison. Your behaviour is out of control. “