Plymouth man gets £2,000 bill after ordering burger and chips
Ben Rawle, caught on CCTV enjoying his meal, has been ordered to pay compensation after breaking a student's tooth
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A burger and chips cost this late-night reveller almost £2,000 when he headbutted one student and punched another after they interrupted his meal.
Ben Rawle, aged 23, who was identified from CCTV near a fast food van, broke the tooth of one of the men – and has now been ordered to pay that sum in compensation.
Rawle was with five friends eating food from the burger bar on North Hill when they were approached by the two medical students, a court heard.
He headbutted one man and then punched the second in the face when he came to help.
Rawle handed himself in within an hour of his photograph being published by Plymouth Live, the city's Crown Court heard.
But he was only convicted of punching the second student after a dispute about how much he had been provoked by the man he headbutted.
A judge spared him a jail term but ordered him to pay his victim £1,750 compensation – which covered the root canal surgery he needed to his damaged tooth.
Judge James Townsend said: "Whoever may have started what happened, you administered substantial violence to (second man's name) who had not done anything wrong at all.
CCTV images of Ben Rawle enjoying his burger and chips before attacking a student on North Hill (Image: Devon and Cornwall Police)
"As you yourself have accepted, this was completely unacceptable. He has suffered a really nasty injury, not only a physical injury which has required treatment at a considerable cost, but, as I am sure you have heard, it has had a psychological effect on a young man who was otherwise pretty resilient."
Rawle, of Bowhays Walk, Eggbuckland, pleaded guilty to a single count of assault causing actual harm against the man he punched on April 28 last year.
He denied a second similar offence against the man he headbutted and the judge ordered a not guilty verdict.
Sally Daulton, for the Crown Prosecution Service, said Rawle and five friends bought food from a burger bar in North Hill at about 2.30am that day.
She added that the victim and his friend came out of nearby Q Bar and, as medical students, were concerned about the group.
Miss Daulton said that some of the defendant's mates were sitting down.
The barrister said there was a dispute about what happened next – but said that it ended with Rawle headbutting the student to the ground.
The old Bar Q on North Hill (Image: Matt Carter)
The court heard that he had no recollection of the incident.
But Miss Daulton added that the second student went to help his friend on the ground.
She added that Rawle punched him twice to the side of the head.
Miss Daulton said: "The complainant was taken completely by surprise as the blows came from the side. He was not facing him."
The court heard that Rawle and his friends quickly left the scene.
But Miss Daulton said that police published CCTV stills of the suspect through Plymouth Live and he handed himself in within the hour.
She added that the man who had been punched suffered damage to one of his front teeth and needed root canal work which cost a total of £1,320.
Francesca Whebell, for Rawle, said that he had no previous convictions and the attack was out of character.
She added: "He was left to make a very quick judgement and that decision will remain with him for the rest of his life in the loss of his good character.
"The complainant's friend had gone over, he was the one starting the problems."
Handing in references, she said he had a good job and was saving towards buying a home with his partner.
Judge Townsend handed Rawle a 12-month community order with 120 hours unpaid work. The defendant was given three months to pay the £1,750 compensation.
Eggbuckland