Honiton father guilty of revenge attack

Judge issues an arrest warrant after defendant fails to appear in court

A father has been found guilty of a revenge attack on door staff who he believed had injured his son in a New Year’s Eve fracas in Honiton.

Graham Marks led a group of friends and family members back to the Orange Tree club in High Street after his son Matthew suffered a dislocated arm as he fought with bouncers.

Marks punched doorman John Cox twice and then became involved in a melee which was caught on CCTV and during which a man was injured by a flying bottle.

Marks’s other son Jack also became involved in a mass brawl which spilled out into the street just minutes before midnight on December 31, 2015.

His son’s friend Connor Payne threw a bottle which injured one of the doormen who was trying to break up the trouble.

Marks, aged 46, of Westcot Way, Honiton, denied affray and battery but was convicted in his absence after he failed to turn up for his trial at Exeter Crown Court.

Jack Marks, aged 22, of the same address, admitted threatening behaviour and Payne, aged 22, of High Street, Honiton, admitted affray.

Recorder Mr David Bartlett issued a warrant for Marks’s arrest after he was found guilty and he will be sentenced alongside the others when he is caught.

He had been given two chances to turn up for his trial but told his solicitors he was not going to attend.

During the trial the jury were shown footage of Marks, his son and Payne going to the club to remonstrate with door staff over the injury suffered a few minutes earlier by Matthew.

Marks punched doorman John Cox in the face twice before a mass brawl started and spread out into the street.

Marks did not give his version of events because he was not in court but he told police he was acting in self defence or to protect others from door staff.