Mary McGinley outside Liverpool Crown Court (Image: Liverpool Echo)
A grandmother attacked restaurant staff at Miller and Carter after arriving late for her party’s birthday dinner, hitting a waiter with her high heels and trying to punch a chef. Mary McGinley and her group turned up past their 9.45pm reservation at the Albert Dock branch and were told the kitchen had already closed. The evening quickly turned violent, with staff forced to defend themselves using a chair and restraining one of the customers in a “bear hug.”
Despite the assault, the grandmother-of-two avoided an immediate prison sentence. Liverpool Crown Court heard on Tuesday that Angelo Muto and Maderson Roche-Jones were working at the city centre restaurant on December 7, 2022, when McGinley, of White Moss Road South, Skelmersdale, arrived at 10.15pm with her party, “there to celebrate a birthday.” Staff explained the kitchen was closed and showed the group to the bar area instead.
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Prosecutor Isabella Denn-White outlined that two men in the party were unable to prove they were over 18 and were refused alcohol, reported the Liverpool Echo. The entire party was then asked to leave, but they continued to “hang around outside” the premises.
Later, the “atmosphere deteriorated,” with members of the party shouting at Mr Roche-Jones and some attempting to force their way back into the restaurant. When customers became aggressive and “raised fists,” he picked up a chair to defend himself while backing through the premises.
McGinley then removed one of her high-heeled shoes and struck Mr Roche-Jones over the head. Chef Mr Muto left the kitchen to intervene, putting a male “ringleader” in a bear hug in an attempt to eject him. The man responded by hitting the chef on the back of the head, causing him to fall to the ground.
At this point, McGinley tried to punch Mr Muto multiple times to the face, leaving him with a laceration, a lump, and swelling to his right eye. Mr Muto told police he was “very stressed and shaken” by the attack and said: “Nobody has the right to assault me at my place of work. I’m disgusted with their behaviour.”
Mr Roche-Jones also suffered a lump to the back of his head and bruising to the ribs. In a statement, Mr Roche-Jones said: “When the incident took place, I was scared as I didn’t know what they were going to do. I’m worried something like this could happen again.”
The group left only after being told police had been called. McGinley was later traced through her reservation but missed a scheduled interview with Merseyside Police, leading to her arrest a year later in December 2023. She has three previous convictions covering 11 offences, including theft and obstructing police.
McGinley, who had suffered mental health problems and a recent family bereavement in Ireland, admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm and assault by beating. Appearing in court wearing a black blazer and dark clothing with shoulder-length black hair, she was handed a six-month imprisonment suspended for 18 months.
Recorder Mark Ainsworth also imposed a rehabilitation activity requirement of up to 10 days and a three-month electronically monitored curfew from 9pm to 5am.
A second defendant, Charlie Doherty, previously pleaded guilty to a public order offence linked to the same incident on his 18th birthday. The now 21-year-old, also from White Moss Road South, received a conditional discharge from the same court in September 2024.