A shirtless thug threatened a doorman with a knife after being refused entry into a Newcastle city centre McDonald's.
Corie Ruddy turned aggressive when a door supervisor asked him to leave the fast-food restaurant on Northumberland Street after he walked in without a top on at around 11pm on July 18 this year. The 18-year-old then took out a blade and threatened the man in front of a large number of witnesses who "took no notice at all". Fearing for his life, the doorman picked up a chair to defend himself before Ruddy left the premises.
Ruddy, of Denton Road, Scotswood, Newcastle, appeared at Newcastle's Moot Hall via link to be sentenced for threatening a person with a blade. He had pleaded guilty to the offence at a previous hearing.
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Neil Pallister, prosecuting, said the door supervisor was working at the entrance of a busy McDonald's at 10.50pm when a group entered, including a shirtless Ruddy. He said: "The complainant stopped him from entering, telling him to put a shirt on, which he refused. He tried to walk past the complainant, who stepped across his path. The defendant put a hand on the complainant's chest and tried to push him away but he was pushed out of the restaurant onto the street."
After Ruddy was ejected from the McDonalds, he became "aggressive and confrontational" before "squaring up" to the doorman. It was then that Ruddy produced a blade out of a "little handbag" he was wearing. The court heard that despite the disturbance, "there was people standing around taking no notice at all".
Mr Pallister said: "The complainant heard the defendant saying 'I'll do it, I'll stab you', before he lunged towards him." The doorman resorted to picking up a chair to protect himself before Ruddy walked off. He was later arrested after being identified on CCTV.
In a victim statement, the doorman said he believed he could have been killed, and was surprised Ruddy acted the way he did with so many people around. The court heard Ruddy had eight previous convictions.
Jane Foley, defending, said Ruddy had "unstable personality traits" and is potentially in the process of developing more serious mental health issues. She said: "He was the victim of a stabbing to the stomach himself two years ago by members of an organised crime group. That was the reason for carrying the knife, because of the fear of further attacks." She added that Ruddy had shown "genuine contrition" and is "appalled by his behaviour".
Recorder Mark Giuliani said that Ruddy had led a "tragic life" and had been exploited by an organised crime group when younger. He said: "You have shown genuine remorse. It is clear you have an underlying mental disorder which was partly to blame [for the offence]. Recorder Giuliani adjourned the sentencing so that a probation report could be compiled.
Ruddy will return to the court on Monday, December 5 for sentence.
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