Mary McGinley also tried to punch a chef after her party arrived half an hour late for their dinner reservation and were turned away
17:33, 17 Feb 2026Updated 06:00, 18 Feb 2026
Mary McGinley outside Liverpool Crown Court(Image: Liverpool Echo)
A nan whacked a waiter with her high heels and tried to punch a chef after showing up late for her dinner reservation at Miller and Carter. Mary McGinley and her party showed up late for a planned birthday meal at the steakhouse’s Albert Dock branch and were turned away due to the kitchen having closed.
But matters then turned violent, with members of staff being forced to defend themselves using a chair and by placing one of the customers into a “bear hug”. The grandmother-of-two was spared an immediate prison sentence over the altercation, however.
Liverpool Crown Court heard yesterday, Tuesday, that Angelo Muto and Maderson Roche-Jones were both working at the Liverpool city centre restaurant on December 7 2022 when McGinley, of White Moss Road South in Skelmersdale, arrived as part of a group who were “there to celebrate a birthday” at 10.15pm. But, having made a booking for 9.45pm, they were informed that the kitchen had since closed and were instead shown to the bar area.
Isabella Denn-White, prosecuting, outlined how two male members of the party were thereafter unable to produce identification proving that they were aged over 18 and were refused service of alcohol as a result. All of their number were then asked to leave but continued to “hang around outside” the building.
Later, the “atmosphere deteriorated”, leading to the group shouting at Mr Roche-Jones and some forcing their way back into the restaurant. With these customers having reportedly turned aggressive towards the member of staff and “raised fists”, he took hold of a chair in order to defend himself while backing away through the premesis.
McGinley then took off her high heeled shoe and used it to strike Mr Roche-Jones over the head, at which stage chef Mr Muto left the kitchen in order to intervene by putting a male “ringleader in a bear hug” and attempting to eject him. But this man responded by hitting the employee to the back of the head, causing him to fall to the ground.
At this, McGinley was said to have attempted to punch Mr Muto several times to the face, leaving him with a laceration and lump to the head and swelling to his right eye. He described in a statement how he had been left “very stressed and shaken” as a result of the incident and said: “Nobody has the right to assault me at my place of work. I’m disgusted with their behaviour.”
Mr Roche-Jones meanwhile sustained a lump to the back of his head and bruising to the ribs. He added in his own statement: “When the incident took place, I was scared as I didn’t know what they were going to do. I’m worried something like this could happen again.”
The group subsequently left after being told that the police had been called. McGinley was thereafter traced via the reservation she had made at the restaurant but failed to attend a scheduled interview with Merseyside Police.
This led to the 42-year-old’s belated arrest a year later in December 2023. She has three previous convictions for 11 offences, including theft and obstructing police.
Mary McGinley outside Liverpool Crown Court(Image: Liverpool Echo)
McGinley was said to have suffered from mental health issues previously and also experienced a recent family bereavement in Ireland, where she was planning to travel in the near future in order to support her father. Chris Macmaster, defending, told the court of the assault: “There is a shoe in the hand that is used.
“There are others involved in the altercation. One of the complainants is utilising a chair, arguably defensively, but there is a measure of an altercation involving others before Ms McGinley becomes involved.
“I am instructed that the only people who reside at her address are her and her children and two grandchildren. She was proposing to return to Ireland for a week or two on Friday. Her father is now alone. Her long term life is to be at the address in Skelmersdale with her family.”
McGinley admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm and assault by beating. Appearing in the dock wearing a black blazer over dark clothing and sporting shoulder length black hair, she was handed a six month imprisonment suspended for 18 months.
Recorder Mark Ainsworth also imposed a rehabilitation activity requirement of up to 10 days. She will be required to serve a three-month electronically monitored curfew from 9pm to 5am as part of the order.
A second defendant, Charlie Doherty, previously pleaded guilty to a public order offence in relation to the incident, which fell on the date of his 18th birthday. The now 21-year-old, also of White Moss Road South, was handed a conditional discharge by the same court in September 2024.