by Renee Israel
A Cheltenham Magistrates Court heard yesterday how a thug walked into a
Ladbrokes shop in Gloucester a fortnight ago and punched a female cashier in the
face when he realised that he had lost his Euro 2012 bet.
John Eamer admitted to the court that he had flown into a rage after he was
told that he had lost his bet which was worth a mere £1.30, on a 50p wager.
The 29-year-old leaned over the counter and punched the terrified cashier,
Leanne Vallis twice in the face, before walking calming out the store.
Vallis was left with heavy bruising and swelling below her eye.
The attack was filmed on CCTV and after police saw the evidence, they very
quickly identified the serial offender and arrested him. Eamer pleaded guilty to
the attack in the courtroom yesterday.
50p Ladbrokes Euro 2012 Wager
The court heard how Eamer placed a 50 p wager on Germany to beat Portugal in
the June 9th Euro 2012 match. The player opted for a handicap wager which meant
that the Germans were obliged to beat Portugal at least 2-0 in order for him to
enjoy the £1.30 payout.
However, when Eamer walked in to Ladbrokes bookies to claim his winnings,
believing that he won the jackpot, he was told that since Germany had only
beaten Portugal 1-0, he wasn't eligible for any payout.
The player yelled foul language at the cashier, insisting that he was a
winner.
The prosecutor then described what happened next: "Without warning, the
defendant leaned over the counter and punched her twice in the face - causing
her glasses to be knocked off and her body to rock back."
"Leanne Vallis describes how she did not even see the second blow coming - as
she did not have time to put her glasses back on."
Act of Complete Frustration
Defending Eamer was Gemma Bond who said that "this was an act of complete
frustration."
"He is a betting man - he felt that at that moment in time, the cashier was
deceiving him," said Bond.
The court released Eamer on bail and adjourned the proceedings until a
pre-sentence report is heard.
The bookmakers, Ladbrokes, issued a statement about the
case: "Incidents like this are always distressing for those involved, but
we have excellent security procedures. We also have the best CCTV in the
business."
