Reading Festival: Bristol man punched three security guards

Aaron Wilmott, of Scythe Way, Bristol, had not slept for 48 hours and was high on a cocktail of drugs when he “went mad” and punched all three employees in the face.

One security guard, who works in the army, sustained a ruptured tendon in their finger and said they were made to feel ‘useless’ as they were unable take part in military activities after the incident.

Despite being spared jail, Wilmott will have to pay more than £2,000 in compensation to the three festival employees for the injuries they sustained.

The incident occurred at around 9.30pm on Friday, August 27 when Wilmott jumped over a barrier separating performers from the audience.

Aaron Wilmott. Image via Facebook.

He was confronted by three security guards who tried to take him back to the crowd.

Wilmott, who is 24, reacted badly to this and became ‘abusive’ to the security guards.

He launched an attack on the officials punching each of them in the face.

One suffered a black eye and sustained bruising and another received a ruptured ear drum and nerve damage to the face causing numbing.

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The third security guard, who had worked to build up a career in the army, ruptured a tendon in his finger after Wilmott pulled it back.

The security guard was rushed to A&E after being assaulted by Wilmott.

In a victim personal statement read by prosecutor Path Mnathan, the third guard said: “I had to attend various doctor’s appointments and this has meant I have not been able to work.

“I have not been able to progress in my career as my courses have been delayed for 12 months.

“I no longer have satisfaction in my career and I often feel useless.

Members of the public at the Reading Music Festival, England, Friday, Aug. 27, 2021. (AP Photo/Scott Garfitt)

“I have not been able to carry out day-to-day fatherly activities as a result of this injury.

“This all happened because I was trying to keep the public safe when I was attacked unprovoked.”

Wilmott was arrested by police at the festival and his bag was searched.

£100 worth of cocaine and a quantity of cannabis was found. Drugs were later found in his system after tests.

Jed O’Connor, defending for Wilmott, said his client had turned up to court in “abject terror” of being sent to prison.

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The barrister asked Her Honour Judge Real to disregard Wilmott’s previous conviction for drink driving and told her the defendant was an ‘educated’ man who had set up his own carpentry business.

He said: “He is a regular festival goer. This was the first one he was able to go to since the pandemic them from taking place.

“He went mad. He had been there for three days already [at the time of the incident] and he had been taking excessive quantities of alcohol and drugs, including cocaine, cannabis and ecstasy.

“He had not slept for 48 hours. He was behaving irrationally and totally out of character. He was out of it.

“He had been separated from his friends for some time.

“He has no recollection of what happened. He was trying to get on stage for some reason he cannot fathom. He lost it.

“He is very remorseful of the injuries he caused.”

Mr O’Connor revealed Wilmott sustained a dislocated shoulder as a result of the incident and had to be taken to intensive care for treatment.

Since the incident, Wilmott has stopped taking drugs and ‘taken steps’ to reduce his alcohol consumption, a court heard.

Sentencing, Judge Real told Wilmott to ‘remember how you are feeling right now’.

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She said: “Don’t ever do anything like this ever again. I’m not going to send you to prison immediately.”

Aaron Wilmott walks away from court

Explaining her decision to suspend Wilmott’s sentence, she added: “It is clear you struggled to understand why you behaved the way you did on that occasion.

“It can only really be put down to the level of drugs and alcohol taken and your immaturity.

“What does really strike through is your genuine remorse.

“Those who assault personnel at Reading Festival can normally expect a prison sentence.

“In your case, the things I have heard means that need not be immediate.

“In your case, there is genuine remorse. You have realistic prospects of rehabilitation and these offence were out of character for you.

“On balance, these factors outweigh the need for immediate punishment.”

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Wilmott was handed an 18-month prison sentence suspended for 12 months for three counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, possession of cannabis and possession of cocaine.

He must complete 20 rehabilitation activity requirement days and he must carry out 120 hours of unpaid work.

As well as this, he was told to pay £2,050 in compensation to the three security guards and £340 in court costs.

Wilmott was sentenced at Reading Crown Court on Wednesday, February 9.