A DONYATT man has been sentenced for punching a woman in the mouth outside a Chard hotel, assaulting two police officers, and hurling racist remarks towards them.
The defendant Liam Watson, 28, of Donyatt Hill, was sentenced in Taunton Magistrates’ Court on May 18 2026, after pleading guilty on March 17 2026, at Yeovil Magistrates' Court.
The court heard the offences occurred on November 16 2025, in Chard, when Watson used threatening, abusive, or insulting words or behaviour causing harassment, alarm or distress, which was racially aggravated.
The court heard that during the ‘build-up’ to the incident, ‘comments were made’ about the female victim’s mother. She then threw a drink at the defendant.
Watson then punched the victim in the mouth, and she fell to the floor. In her read statement, the victim described 'feeling pain and tasting blood'.
She ‘didn’t expect to be hit in the face’ and was ‘just defending her mum’, the court heard.
The situation spiralled out of control, and police were called.
When two officers arrived, Watson was lying on the floor bleeding from his mouth after other people in the area attacked him, the court heard.
One of the officers provided a statement, and parts were read aloud in court. When the officers arrived, Watson appeared to be ‘under the influence, shouting and being disruptive.’
The court heard Watson started shouting and being aggressive towards the two police officers, calling them ‘Jewish c***s and Muslim c***s’. He then hit the officers and was ‘shouting at the top of his voice.’
Watson then put his left arm around one of the police officers’ heads and neck, and they had to ‘push him off’.
The police officer said that throughout the situation, they were trying to figure out what happened to Watson while he was saying abusive things like ‘f**k you d******d’.
Watson then spat on the police officer and, after being restrained, said ‘shut up, you f*****g c***t'.
The police officer said: “I attempted multiple times to figure out what happened to Watson, and he assaulted me and my colleague. I do not go to work to be assaulted.”
The other police officer said Watson called them ‘satanic mother*****r and blood suckers’ and was ‘resisting arrest.’
They said Watson grabbed their throat and kicked them in the back four to five times while actively shouting and swearing.
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The court heard there are no previous convictions for violence on Watson’s record.
In defence, it was heard that Watson was 'drinking on top of medication', and the whole incident started with an interaction with the victim, which 'started with that person assaulting him' (as liquid was thrown at him). The court heard his reaction was what led to him to commit the offence.
He then received a ‘thorough kicking’ and was the victim of a ‘serious assault’, and he was left with 'blood coming out of his mouth' and was 'missing a tooth', the court heard.
Defence pointed out that while officers were restraining him, they were assisted by members of the public, and one of these people came back and ‘stamped on his head’ while Watson was on the floor and handcuffed.
Watson was sentenced to serve a community order for 12 months, during which he must complete nine months of mental health treatment, 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days, and 100 hours of unpaid work.
Watson was ordered to pay £100 in compensation to each victim, a fine of £700, costs of £85 and a surcharge of £114 – and so he was ordered to pay the court £1199 in total.
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