A CUSTOMER at a Suffolk supermarket was punched in the head and face after he tried to stop a man he had seen grappling with a security guard, it has been alleged.

Jane Hunt

A CUSTOMER at a Suffolk supermarket was punched in the head and face after he tried to stop a man he had seen grappling with a security guard, it has been alleged.

David Punscon stuck out one of his feet to trip up 24-year-old Thomas Duckworth and was holding him down when Duckworth's older brother Daniel ran into the store and allegedly punched Mr Punscon several times, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

Mr Punscon told the court that he had gone to Tescos in Brandon on March 21 last year to buy his wife some flowers for Mothering Sunday and had heard a commotion coming from the toilet area.

He had then seen a security guard grappling with Thomas Duckworth and saw the security guard allegedly being pinned against the wall.

Thomas Duckworth had then managed to get away and as he ran towards the entrance Mr Punscon had stopped him by tripping him up.

Mr Punscon held Thomas Duckworth down with one of his hands and had looked up to see Daniel running into the store towards him.

Mr Punscon claimed he was struck two or three times to his face and head by Daniel Duckworth and suffered a black eye, a deep cut to his lip, swelling to his head and damage to his teeth.

Daniel Duckworth, 34, of Parsons Close, Brandon, has denied assaulting Mr Punscon causing him actual bodily harm. Thomas Duckworth, of Heath Road, Brandon, has denied sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl and an alternative charge of common assault. He has also denied assaulting the girl's 17-year-old boyfriend.

It has been alleged that Thomas Duckworth had patted the 15-year-old girl's bottom and made an abusive comment to her as she was waiting outside the toilets at Tescos for her boyfriend.

When her boyfriend came out she told him what Thomas Duckworth had allegedly done to her and he had gone into the toilet to speak to him. He claimed that when he challenged him Thomas Duckworth had butted him in the face causing a cut to the bridge of his nose which bled heavily.

A security guard had arrived on the scene and had grappled with Thomas Duckworth to stop him leaving the store.

Lindsay Cox, prosecuting, said that Daniel Duckworth claimed he had seen his brother come running out of the toilet with blood on his face and thought he had been attacked.

When he saw Mr Punscon trip his brother up he had gone into the store and was acting in self-defence or in defence of his brother.

He said that Thomas Duckworth claimed he was acting in self-defence in relation to the 17-year-old. The trial continues today.