POLICE are hunting two men who assaulted a manageress at the Bon Port Hotel.
And islanders are being asked to help identify the pair, believed to be in their 40s and visiting from England, after one of them threw a heavy plate full of hot food at the woman.
The incident took place at about 1.30pm on Thursday, after the men had been served by their waiter and were unhappy about the length of time it had taken for them to be served.
It is understood that the manageress, in her late 40s, went over to the men to apologise for the delay.
But as she approached, one of the men ‘flipped’ and hurled the plate into her chest, causing a severe injury that will keep her off work for some time, the hotel’s co-owner said.
Mark Galins was absolutely furious about the incident and urged Guernsey Press readers to help identify the pair.
‘The men were unprovoked, they just flipped,’ he said.
‘She was not even at the table when one of them decided to chuck the heavy plate at her. The last thing you should do is assault someone because you haven’t got your own way.
‘And you should certainly not launch something at a woman if you are a stocky man.’
The hotel was hosting a lunch for a local hospice on Thursday so meals were taking slightly longer to be prepared than usual.
Mr Galins said the men were warned about the impending delay and said they were happy to wait.
‘They were not thugs,’ he said.
‘They seemed like normal men who claimed to own 14 retail outlets in England.
‘When the waiter served them, they grumbled a bit about the delay, even though it had been explained to them at the beginning, so the manager went over.’
The woman was badly shaken by the attack, said Mr Galins.
‘She suffered quite a serious injury as a result and, of course, had scalding hot food down her as well.
‘She was shocked by what had happened and I am determined to catch these people because we need to show them that this sort of thing will not be tolerated.
‘The people of Guernsey are good people and I hope they will be able to help identify the two men.’
The suspects arrived at the hotel in a red Ford Ka, which is believed to be a hire car. Both men were stocky, one was wearing a brown, short-sleeved shirt with khaki shorts. The other wore a blue, short-sleeved shirt and blue shorts.
Chief inspector Ruari Hardy said: ‘I would appeal to the public to study the images and if they can identify either of the two males to make contact with the police as soon as possible.
‘I would particularly ask for the help of those working in the hospitality industry, just in case the persons involved are in the island temporarily.
‘This type of incident is rare in Guernsey and the Island Police will respond appropriately to the concerns raised.’
Article posted on 5th July, 2008 - 9.30am
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