Wiktor Kuca, 21, flew into a rage and headbutted a doorman at Walkabout when he was challenged over a bottle of WKD he was carrying. The incident took place at the Manchester city centre venue in Printworks.
Kuca was among a group of men carrying a bottle of the alcopop at the venue on March 21 last year when he was approached by security staff, Manchester Crown Court was told. Prosecutor Olivia Gatfield said: "He told the defendant that he could not take the bottle with him, at which point the defendant refused and headbutted him." As door staff attempted to restrain him with help from colleagues, Kuca 'produced a knife' and 'swung it' at him. The blade was 'fortunately' folded away, though he attempted to swing it a second time before dropping it when kicked in the elbow.
Police interview and victim impact
Officers attended and arrested him. During his police interview, he admitted to having consumed alcohol and cocaine throughout the evening and confessed to headbutting the doorman. However, he disputed possession of the knife, claiming the situation 'felt like a stitch up'.
The doorman's statement, read out in court, stated: "The incident made me feel like life is valuable. It has convinced me to wear more protective clothing for work, like my stab vest. It has made me re-evaluate my profession and my whole life, because I don't know who could be a danger to me and any day could be my last."
Previous assault at Eccles pub
Just over a month before, Kuca had also been involved in a 'horrendous' assault outside The Spinners Arms in Eccles. Two men had been enjoying drinks and playing in the games room when they were confronted by a group of eight men who alleged one of them was 'drinking one of their drinks'. A 'verbal argument' broke out during which someone from the group grabbed the man's drink. It appeared to have been resolved but the dispute flared up again approximately 20 minutes later, with one of the two men stepping in to prevent any violence between his friend and the group.
Following the landlord's request for them to leave, CCTV footage captured Kuca's group 'waiting outside' and launching an attack on the two men as they departed the pub in the early hours of the next morning, subjecting them to 'serious and sustained violence'. Kuca was observed striking one of the men before 'jumping and stamping' on him twice while he lay on the ground. Along with two accomplices, he then attacked the second man, who had tried to intervene as a peacemaker inside the pub, punching him to the ground where he suffered further blows and kicks. Kuca proceeded to stamp on his friend an additional six times before the group finally left the scene.
The man who had attempted to mediate regained consciousness on the floor and was informed an ambulance had been summoned. He was transported to Salford Royal Hospital where medics discovered he had sustained a broken nose and two black eyes, along with bruising and cuts to his head. In a victim impact statement, he revealed: "This has made me feel isolated and I moved back in with my dad for a while as I no longer felt safe at my own address. My confidence has been knocked and my anxiety has increased. I am looking to move out of this are as I no longer feel safe in Eccles. This attack has left me with permanent injuries, my broken nose is affecting my breathing, and I am starting to have headaches more. I also have permanent scars on my face."
Sentence and judge's remarks
Kuca, of Scotta Road, Eccles, admitted at previous hearings to possession of a bladed article, assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH) and affray. The court was told that Kuca was serving a suspended sentence when he committed the offences, which he also admitted breaching. He had received an 11-month prison term, suspended for 18 months, in November 2023 for two earlier offences of possessing a bladed article.
Defence counsel Emmanuel Coniah explained that Kuca had experienced considerable 'trauma' during childhood and had also been stabbed as a teenager, leading him to believe he needed to carry a knife to 'protect himself'. Kuca, who had been held on remand for approximately seven months, had given up alcohol and drugs. He was engaged, acted as a 'father figure' to his partner's child and had promising employment opportunities should he avoid immediate imprisonment.
Recorder Andrew Vinson stated that 'carrying a knife is not something anyone in a civilised society should be doing' and warned Kuca 'it must stop now'. He characterised the violence at the Eccles pub as a 'horrendous attack on the individuals concerned' which 'could have been far, far worse'. Despite his criminal history, the judge said that given his age and the fact that 'steps had been taken' to 'try and address matters' in his life, he believed 'there remains a realistic prospect of rehabilitation'. He revealed he had 'only just' concluded that it would be 'unjust' to activate the suspended sentence, which therefore allowed him to suspend Kuca's overall sentence. "This was a very, very fine balance" the judge told him. "If you find yourself in possession of a bladed article again, the sentence will be activated and there will be other consequences."
Kuca received a total sentence of two years and four months, suspended for two years. He must complete 200 hours of unpaid work, attend 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days and participate in the Building Choices Programme. Additionally, he was hit with a £1,000 fine for violating the suspended sentence, while being ordered to pay £800 compensation to the assault victim and £150 towards costs.
