Publican to sue after legal battle.

A PUB boss is suing a customer who attacked him in his own bar. Landlord Keith Gibbon was attacked by a reveller at The Bar at the Brandling in Jesmond, Newcastle, last year leaving him with permanent injuries.

However, because the man behind the attack was given a caution, the case did not go to court.

And Mr Gibbon and his solicitor Graham Jamieson have been unable to obtain his name and address to pursue a civil case.

Now after months of battling with Northumbria Police, Mr Gibbon has won his battle to get the name of his attacker and now plans to launch a civil case against him.

"They have given me the details now and my solicitor has written a letter to the lad," said the 68-year-old. "I also got the pounds 75 back that the police had asked me to pay for the details, but I was never bothered about that.

"I just think it is disgusting he got off," he said.

Mr Gibbon was trying to quieten down some rowdy drinkers in the beer garden outside his pub, which he runs with daughter Emba, when he was confronted by the lad in September last year. After a verbal row an ashtray and chair were thrown at Mr Gibbon, leaving him injured.

He was left with a four to five inch gaping wound in his head which required eight staples.

He also suffered permanent muscle damage to his right arm.

"I have to deal with some horrible people but no one has ever done this," said Mr Gibbon, who has been running pubs and clubs in the North East for 50 years.

He now has limited movement in this arm and doctors at Newcastle''s Nuffield Centre have told him an operation at his age is too risky as the chance of success is just 25% But Mr Gibbon said he is still "extremely annoyed" with the police.

"I am extremely angry but there is nothing I can do about the police," said Mr Gibbon, who lodged a complaint with the police about how they had deal with his case and their slow progress.

A spokeswoman for Northumbria Police said: "We take all complaints seriously. "We can confirm a complaint has been received and we are in contact with Mr Gibbon and his solicitors to meet a resolution to the matter and this process is ongoing."

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Publication:	Evening Chronicle (Newcastle, England)
Date:	Jun 11, 2012
Words:	398
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