A MAN who became threatening and violent towards staff at Hollywood Bowl in Yeovil has been jailed for 14 weeks.

Jason Roberts went to the premises with a female who had been previously banned, but when he was told she had to leave by the assistant manager, he replied that she was welcome to stay because she was with him.

He then launched a barrage of verbal abuse, threatened to hit the staff member with a beer bottle along with making with threats to injure or kill him before swearing at a woman working behind the bar after she was told not to serve him.

After hearing that he had a suspended prison sentence hanging over his head, Somerset Magistrates told him they were left with no choice other than to send him behind bars.

Roberts, 52, of Gloucester Road, Bournemouth, pleaded guilty to using threatening and abusive behaviour towards Nathan Clover and Aleesha Self causing them to fear violence would be used against them on April 21.

Andrew Meadows, prosecuting, said that Roberts walked into Hollywood Bowl in Yeovil when the assistant manager, Mr Clover, told him the female he was with was banned.

“The defendant responded by saying she was welcome as she was with him and then threatened to hit him over the head with a bottle of Budweiser,” he said.

“Mr Clover went to find the manager and told a female member of staff working behind the bar not to serve Roberts.

“However when the defendant went to the bar and was told he would not be served he started swearing at her, then grabbed a bottle and shook it until the top came off. He then left.”

The court at Yeovil was told that Roberts had 35 previous convictions for 61 offences and was subject to a suspended sentence order for offences of assaulting two emergency workers, common assault and criminal damage.

Defending solicitor Greg Peters said Roberts had expressed “genuine remorse” and fully accepted his actions on that day.

“His offending in the past has been fuelled by alcohol, and this was the case here,” he said.

“When he went to the premises and saw someone putting their hands on the female he was with he became very aggrieved.”

The magistrates activated six weeks of Roberts’ suspended sentence and imposed a further eight weeks for the new offences. He was also ordered to pay costs of £85 and a £154 victim surcharge on his release from custody.