Businessman and wife assaulted bar staff after being asked to leave

A businessman and his social worker wife who are known as 'pillars of their local community' started a drunken fight at a cricket club which left two bar workers with serious injuries, a court has heard. 

Daniel and Serena Hallam were arrested after leaving one of the victims with a broken jaw and the other with a broken tooth and rib. 

They launched the shocking attack on the bar staff at the Alsager cricket club, in Cheshire, on March 26 last year when Mrs Hallam was asked to leave the pavilion due to her boorish behaviour.

The couple had earlier been drinking heavily for three hours after they took their eight-year-old twin sons to the cricket club to watch England take on Ukraine in the Euros. 

Mrs Hallam, who is also a primary school governor, became so intoxicated that she vomited over herself and the ladies' toilets and was told to go home by barmaid Samantha Beresford.

But in response Mrs Hallam, 36, pulled Miss Beresford by her hair and hit her before her husband, 38, punched the victim in the face. The pair then turned on barman Anthony Durose who tried to intervene only to be knocked out in the melee.

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Ms Beresford now has permanent metal plates and pins in her jaw, continues to experience pain and spits and has a lisp when she speaks. Mr Durose suffered a broken tooth, injured cheekbone and broken rib.

At Chester Crown Court, Mr Hallam, who employs two staff at his company helps local football teams and raises money for a cancer charity, was jailed for two years after he admitted causing grievous bodily harm and assault.

Mrs Hallam, who has since lost her job as a senior social worker at Cheshire East Council, admitted assault and affray and was sentenced to nine months in prison, suspended for 18 months.

She was also ordered to complete 20 days of rehabilitation activity and 200 hours of unpaid work.

The couple now face having to sell their £400,000 three-bedroomed detached home on a cul-de-sac in Alsager.

The incident occurred at 8pm on March 26 last year after the Hallams had arrived at the cricket club at 5pm to watch the football on TV with their children.

Prosecutor Mr Brett Willamson said: 'Serena Hallam was heavily intoxicated, had gone to the toilet to be sick and Ms Beresford followed her in to tell her to leave. 

'Serena Hallam then threw up in the sink and on the floor and an argument started between them.

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'Anthony Durose became involved, echoing the request for Mrs Hallam to leave, telling Mrs Hallam 'Come on duck, you're not going to get served again.' 

'Ms Beresford walked towards the bar area but as she did so, Serena Hallam pulled her hair and hit her. 

'Whilst in the foyer area, Ms Beresford was then punched in the face twice by Daniel Hallam who had come to see what was going on.

'The assault knocked Ms Beresford to the ground and Serena Hallam then jumped on top of her and assaulted her also. Mr Durose was hit in the face by Daniel Hallam and was knocked unconscious onto a sofa. 

'When he began to regain consciousness, he was attacked again by both defendants. The next thing Mr Durose remembered was waking up in the back of an ambulance.

'When police attended Mr Hallam was arrested but Serena Hallam was visibly extremely drunk, verbally abusive, shouting, swearing and hysterical and was taken home by her brother with the children. She was later arrested at her home address.'

Mr Hallam gave no comment in his police interview but was said to have become 'visibly upset and emotional' when shown CCTV footage of the violence. 

Mrs Hallam denied being drunk and claimed Ms Beresford was physically holding her and causing bruising to her arms.

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In a statement Ms Beresford said: 'My jaw had to be wired prior to surgery, and I waited a number of days before being operated on. The pins and plates are permanent, and I still have pain in her jaw.

'I had to pay significant sums of money for dental work on her teeth. I live in a small community and feel people are judging me and thinking that I am a liar.'

Mr Durose, whose daughter also worked at the cricket club, said his confidence had been affected and he now struggles to deal with social events.

The court heard Mr Hallam had a cautioned for affray from 2004 before being convicted of battery and criminal damage in 2006. His wife had no previous convictions.

For Mr Hallam, defence counsel Bob Sastry said: 'This is not how he ordinarily behaves and the phrase 'Out of character' applies undoubtedly in this case.' He is ordinarily an outstanding individual, both in terms of contribution to the community and to his own family.

'He runs a company employing two people who are entirely dependent on him for their livelihoods, is a devoted father, has fundraised for a cancer charity and has had a positive impact on his local football teams.

'On the evening of the offences he had more alcohol than he normally would have had and that may have had an impact on his behaviour. He and his wife are utterly disgusted by their actions and are as ashamed as anybody could be sitting before you in the dock, a place they never expected to be. 

'His wife did work but she lost her employment directly as a result of these proceedings and he is now the sole breadwinner.

'If sent to immediate custody they would not be able to pay the mortgage and the house would no longer be theirs.'

For Mrs Hallam, defence counsel Emily Woodside said: 'Until this incident she was someone who had been living a law-abiding life who had made a significant contribution to the community. 

'She had worked as a social worker for 13 years following a degree in social work and became a senior social worker for Cheshire East - but she has lost that job as a result of this offence.

'She is currently unemployed is now reliant on Mr Hallam to support the family. She is actively looking for work in a field where she can help people. This offence was out of character. '

In sentencing Judge Simon Berkson banned the Hallams from contacting the victims for seven years under the terms of a restraining order.

He told them: 'You are normally and ordinarily law abiding and well-behaved citizens. You Daniel Hallam own your own business, you have done so for years and you employ two people. You, Serena Hallam, were a well-qualified social worker.

'You are both parents and held up to be good parents. But what should have been a pleasant evening for all concerned ended up in disgrace. This was drunken violent behaviour displayed by you both at the cricket club with two people injured, one very seriously injured.

'What makes it even more serious is that not only were children present at the time, but two of those children were your children. They had to witness your drunken state. They had to witness your violent actions. What an example to set for those two young people.'