Ukrainian soldier avoids prison after supermarket spat

30-year-old headbutted Co-op manager after alcohol sale was refused

A Ukrainian soldier who moved to the Isle of Man to escape the war in Ukraine has narrowly avoided being sent to prison.

Bogdan Ryzhuk, of South Quay in Douglas, was sentenced at Douglas Courthouse after assaulting the manager of a supermarket.

The 30-year-old entered The Co-op, on Duke Street, at 8.40pm on 8 July – once inside he pushed his way to the front of the queue, shouting ‘drink, drink’, and attempted to purchase alcohol.

When staff refused to serve him, due to his level of intoxication, Ryzhuk became aggressive and punched the plastic Covid screen – it snapped and flew through the air hitting a female member of staff.

As the manager escorted Ryzhuk from the premises he headbutted him in the nose; door staff from The Front Porch rushed to assist and managed to detain him in a headlock before he was arrested.

Ryzhuk later admitted assault, a provoking behaviour offence and causing damage to property.

During sentencing Ryzhuk’s advocate told the court his client hadn’t gone into the shop ‘looking to cause trouble’ but had become agitated when he thought staff were ignoring him.

“What happened next was wholly disproportionate,” the advocate said.

Acknowledging that the incident was ‘deeply distressing’ for the staff and customers to witness he added: “He has no excuse. He apologises for it.”

Magistrates heard Ryzhuk had come to the Island as a result of the war in his home nation after serving in the east of the country.

“He carries both physical and emotional scars from that time,” the advocate told them.

The court heard Ryzhuk, who was assisted by an interpreter, had been using alcohol to ‘self-medicate and manage his feelings’.

“When drinking he can get angry and lose his temper when ordinarily he wouldn’t,” the advocate added: “He’s essentially scared to drink now in case he does lose control again.”

He said Ryzhuk had since stopped drinking and found a job and was seeking to become a ‘productive member of the community’.

Hearing he was in breach of a 12-month conditional discharge, imposed in January, Magistrates told Ryzhuk he’d caused a ‘great deal of fear’ to those in the Co-op.

Imposing a six-week custodial sentence which they suspended for six months they told him: “It is clear that you lose control when you have partaken in alcohol.”

Ryzhuk will also be restricted from purchasing alcohol for six months and must pay £350 in compensation and £125 in prosecution costs.