Domino’s Pizza Elgin incident pair sentenced

Domino’s Pizza staff locked a man outside after he punched a customer in the nose - but an “erratic” teen was then locked inside the takeaway.

Caleb Bowman (21) and Joseph Taylor (18) were sentenced over the incident at Elgin Sheriff Court on Thursday.

Both had previously admitted behaving in a “threatening or abusive manner” by repeatedly kicking and punching the door of the Domino’s.

Bowman, who also admitted punching the customer, was ordered to pay a £220 fine by Sheriff Eric Brown.

His sentence had been reduced because the 21-year-old had already spent more than three weeks behind bars on remand, the court heard.

While Taylor previously admitted adopting an “aggressive demeanour”, attempting to climb over the counter top, shouting, swearing and uttering threats.

The 18-year-old received a structured deferred sentence, to be reviewed in six months.

“…swung his closed fist at the complainer, colliding with his nose”

The court heard that both Bowman and Taylor had entered the Domino’s at around 7pm on Sunday, April 28, last year.

Fiscal depute Karen Poke said Bowman approached a customer and asked him: “What have you been saying about my friend?”

The man replied “I didn’t say anything”, she added, before Bowman “swung his closed fist at the complainer, colliding with his nose.”

The court heard that the force of the attack “caused him to stumble backwards and fall to his hands and knees”.

Later, the man attended Dr Gray’s Hospital and was treated for a bleeding nose but no other medical issues were found.

After the attack, Bowman left the takeaway and staff locked the doors to prevent him from re-entering the Domino’s.

However, this left 18-year-old Taylor locked inside.

“At this point, he began to behave in an erratic manner, bouncing around trying to get out of the pizza restaurant,” Ms Poke said.

“In his effort to get out of there, he attempted to climb over the top of the shop counter in an effort to enter the rear of the store.”

The teenager’s actions had “frightened the staff”, the fiscal depute added, as Taylor had been “shouting and swearing at employees”.

Despite their concerns, however, they could not unlock the doors as they were “scared of the accused Bowman getting back in”.

Eventually, staff unlocked the door to allow Taylor to escape the Domino’s.

The court heard that staff pursued the two men for a short time and called the police, who took multiple witness statements after arriving on the scene.

Officers traced, cautioned and arrested Bowman and Taylor at around 10pm, and neither made a reply.

Solicitor Stuart Flowerdew confirmed that Bowman had already spent 24 days behind bars, in connection with the incident which was committed while on bail.

The 21-year-old had a “fairly significant record”, Mr Flowerdew said, and said there had been“difficulties with his upbringing”.

Throughout Bowman’s on remand, the solicitor added, his client had been “phoning me pretty much every day to say how much he didn’t enjoy it”.

Solicitor Grant Daglish said 18-year-old Taylor had “simply panicked and tried to get out of the situation”.

He added that, ahead of the incident, his client had “no intention of going in there with the aim of causing any trouble”.

Sheriff Eric Brown ordered Bowman to pay a £220 fine, a less severe punishment due to his lengthy spell on remand.

Taylor given a six month structured deferred sentence.