Woman Who Attacked Polish NHS Worker In Wetherspoon Pub Says She's Not Racist

A woman filmed attacking a Polish NHS worker at a Wetherspoon pub has insisted she's not racist. You can watch the video below:

Clare McCarthy was recorded lunging at Anna Rutkowska at The Kingswood Colliers bar in Bristol on Saturday.

Care worker Anna, 36, subsequently uploaded the footage to Facebook with the caption: "This is what happened on our first night out to a pub.

"Because we were speaking 'too loud in Polish' with those people telling us 'you are in England now'.

"After which the girl attacked my friend, and then the staff asked us to leave, not bothering to ask anyone what happened."

The video went viral and Clare, 30, claims she has now been sacked from her job as a recruitment consultant. She denies making any racist comments and claims she didn't know that Anna was Polish.

Speaking to the Daily Mail she said: "Racism happens all the time and it is wrong, I've always thought that. I don't have a racist bone in my body. But it's almost as bad to accuse someone of racism when I have not muttered anything of the kind.

"This woman has accused me of attacking her and I know that in the eyes of the law that if someone touches you first they are the instigator so I contacted the police today and reported the incident.

"I want her to know that she is now part of the investigation and when that investigation is complete I will be pursuing her for defamation of character and loss of earnings."

Recounting her version of events, Clare said: "I noticed a group sat down in one of the booths staring over at me and laughing. This must've gone on for between 15 and 20 minutes.

"Even when I was making eye contact with them, they were not looking away and so it got to the point where I just went over and asked them 'what are you staring at?'

"A guy stood up from the table and squared up at me and said 'are we going to have a problem here?' One of the girls then started shouting at me, accusing me of being racist."

She continued: "Then the woman who had been shouting at me lunged out from the booth and pushed me aggressively. Her friend, who was sitting across the table from her, had her phone out and was recording what was going on.

"I don't know whether the video has been edited at all but if it was just three seconds longer you'll be able to see that she pushed me first before anything else and I've obviously gone back at her.

"I believe this is a deliberate set up in the way that they have gone about it. I'm not proud about my reaction but I was defending myself and was provoked.

"To be honest I don't think the whole incident would've happened if either party hadn't have had a drink - and I do admit that - but by no means was I drunk."

Police are now investigating the incident.

A spokesman for Avon and Somerset Police told LADbible: "A woman has come forward following media and social media reports of an incident in the Kingswood Colliers pub on Saturday 4 July.

"She is due to be interviewed voluntarily. Police have also identified a man seen in the video.

"Officers remain keen to speak to anyone else involved in the incident. The woman who posted the footage online has not yet responded to police efforts to contact her. Enquiries to identify her continue.

"Anyone who saw the incident or who has any other information which could help can get in touch by calling 101 and quoting reference 5220147770."

Wetherspoon declined to comment.

Featured Image Credit: Facebook

Topics: Viral, UK News, Wetherspoon, Pubs, crime

Jake Massey

Jake Massey is a journalist at LADbible. He graduated from Newcastle University, where he learnt a bit about media and a lot about living without heating. After spending a few years in Australia and New Zealand, Jake secured a role at an obscure radio station in Norwich, inadvertently becoming a real-life Alan Partridge in the process. From there, Jake became a reporter at the Eastern Daily Press. Jake enjoys playing football, listening to music and writing about himself in the third person.

@jakesmassey