MAN WHO THREATENED KEBAB HOUSE STAFF AND ATTACKED WOMAN FOUND GUILTY BY MAGISTRATES

An East Cowes man who attacked a woman inside a kebab shop in Newport – and told a worker that he would ‘cut them up like kebab meat’ – is to be sentenced in March. Jack Taylor, 25, of Captains Parade, was due to appear at court for a trial last week (18th January), however, he failed to show and so a warrant was issued for his arrest. In his absence, he was found guilty of using threatening words/behaviour to cause harassment alarm or distress and assault by beating in Newport on 29th March 2023. Having been arrested and remanded in custody overnight, Taylor appeared before Magistrates on Friday (19th January). At that hearing, Liz Miller, prosecuting, told the court that on the day in question, at around 17:00, Taylor and a female were seen arguing with one another outside Ephesus Pizza & Kebab on High Street, Taylor telling the girl ‘I’m going to punch your head in’. A worker from the shop saw the commotion outside and tried to intervene, however, Taylor began shouting at them and called them a variety of homosexual slurs. He also told the worker ‘I’m going to cut you up like the kebab on that skewer’. The 25-year-old – who was told numerous times to stop being aggressive – then proceeded to grab the female and pull her to the floor, punching her in the face and arms, and ripping her clothes. Taylor was told by the member of staff to leave the premises to which he replied by saying ‘I’ll kill you in a minute’. In a victim personal statement read aloud in court, the staff member said how they were now ‘scared’ because of the events and that being subject to such abuse isn’t acceptable for 2023. Defending, Barry Keel said that the local digger driver had missed the trial because he got his dates mixed up and that Taylor – who has been previously diagnosed with Schizophrenia – had been drinking at the time of the incident. Magistrates adjourned the case until 8th March with an all-options pre-sentence report to be compiled for that hearing.