Pub Landlord Fatally Stabbed: Assailant Sentenced
A pub landlord from Barnsley on holiday with his family was fatally stabbed in a car park. The man responsible, Joseph Allan, has been jailed for his actions.
A Tragic Ending for Pub Landlord
Gareth Hart, 43, succumbed to a fatal wound to his chest after a violent confrontation outside Fantasy Grill & Balti, Sea Lane, Ingoldmells, in April 2023.
The Incident
33-year-old Joseph Allan Malek from Market Place, Belper, Derbyshire, was implicated in the tragedy. Witnesses revealed an argument broke out between Hart and a woman outside the takeaway place over a possible dispute involving a dog or a child. Malek interjected himself into the fracas.
"The argument between the victim and Malek became physical, and during this altercation Mr Hart suffered four stab wounds,"
The fatal wound was inflicted using a pen knife, with the weapon later discovered in a nearby puddle.
Aftermath and Sentencing
Following the incident, Malek fled to Butlins and subsequently returned home to Derbyshire. He later surrendered himself to the Ripley Police Station on the same day.
After a two-week trial at Lincoln Crown Court, Malek was convicted of manslaughter but absolved of murder charges. Christopher Donnellan KC, prosecuting, recounted:
"He [Malek] did not like being punched. He took out his knife. When Mr Hart reached him again he was ready."
Gordon Aspden KC defended Malek:
"It’s something that he carries with him every day of his life and is something that will never leave him... It is only after the thundering punch of a big man that knife came out."
The Judge's Verdict
Judge Simon Hirst reiterated the dangers of carrying knives and noted that while Malek's actions initially could be seen as self-defence, he went beyond necessary action.
"This is another example, if society needs it, about the danger of carrying knives... Some of Mr Malek’s actions were in self-defence but he went far beyond what he could have done."