‘I was nearly beaten to death after I refused a man a pint – then I almost had my pub taken away’

Amber Knight was closing down her pub in Archway, Islington, when a man pounded through the front door.

Tidying up the rustic wooden seating and putting the colouring crayons back in the childrens’ corner, the co-owner of the Charlotte Despard politely declined the man’s demands with a ‘sorry we are closed’.

It was a chilly and dark February night, and the man – who introduced himself as the ‘King of Archway’ – was staring into the windows for around 20 minutes before coming in.

From his perspective, Amber would have appeared to have been the only member of staff inside.

Not liking Amber’s insistence to operate within her licencing hours, he got in her face and launched an attack so vicious, she is receiving therapy for PTSD.

‘It felt like he was going to beat me to death,’ she told Metro.

He bit her so hard it tore her skin open, punched her around the head before grabbing a stool (which is still stained with blood) and using it to beat her.

Co-owner Christopher Sparks and regular punter Chand managed to physically get between them as they pinned the attacker to the sofa.

The police arrived within 10 minutes and arrested the man, but the businesses nightmare was only just beginning, as the police not only released the man – but turned on them.

‘Missing CCTV’

As the Metropolitan Police began their investigation, the question of CCTV began to rise.

The pub’s cameras recorded the attack which Metro has seen, but chosen not to publish due to how graphic it really is.

But police said there were ‘six crucial minutes’ before the attack missing,.

And both Amber and Christopher were horrified at the police’s approach.

Christopher told Metro: ‘Police were the first ones to handle the footage in the first place do they really think in the middle of the attack we had time to go delete some of it?’

Because officers said there was ‘insufficient evidence’ the man arrested was released without charge, free to roam London.

‘I did think I saw him on the bus a few weeks after,’ Amber said. ‘But I think its terrible the Met champions itself on violence against women and girls, but I was nearly beaten to death by a stranger.’

The total number of injuries Amber sustained are numerous. And concerningly, she said she was taken to hospital by officers and left there.

She said: ‘I was so confused and ended up being discharged and walked around Euston in a daze.

‘And there was no follow up, no victim support. I was just… left to sort myself out.’

Metro has contacted the Metropolitan Police for comment.

Licencing hearing

But what has stung the co-owners the most, is the police’s push to remove their trading licence.

They argued the pub was promoting or allowing criminal activity, and said Christopher was ‘argumentative’ in interviews – even breaking off their conversation to sing karaoke in the empty pub.

Christopher said: ‘I am neurodivergent and find those types of conversations difficult to manage. But I always let the officers know that I am eccentric and to be prepared.’

The co-owners have ran the pub for 15 years and say they take their responsiblities seriously but were prepared for the worst when the day of their licencing hearing finally came nearly seven months later.

They were described as being in a ‘gritty area’ allowing crime to occur – when in reality they had held a child’s first birthday party just weeks before.

Amber said: ‘They were acting like we are a den on inequity. It was just shocking. We have generations of customers from the same families come, we know everyone’s names, we are LGBT friendly.

‘We were just painted to be something we are completely not.’

Community saves pub

And completely unbeknownst to them, around 30 of their loyal regulars turned out to the hearing.

Doctors, grandmothers and even children arrived to voice their feelings about the closure of the pub.

Christopher said: ‘The hearing organisers said they had never seen anything like it before.’

For a process that usually takes about 20 minutes, the hearing was sat for more than three hours as regulars voiced their support for the co-owners.

Amber said: ‘We had no hand in organising it, they surpirsed us all when they began packing out the room.

‘Mothers came up holding their children, telling the hearing how safe it was. And I think that really helped sway it.’

It was this turn out which made the licencing committee realise that shuttering the pub ‘would not be proportionate’.

The Metropolitan Police said: ‘Officers quickly attended the scene and arrested a 43-year-old man on suspicion of grievous bodily harm. After an interview under caution, he was released on bail pending further enquiries.

‘The incident was then investigated, with local officers conducting enquiries and gathering CCTV and statements, however footage from the scene – captured on internal security cameras – did not contain a complete timeline of the evening, which meant there was not enough evidence to secure a charge.    

‘The case was closed pending further information coming to light.’

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