‘AGGRESSIVE’ | 

US politician arrested after allegedly slapping and spitting on worker at Irish pub

Keith Murphy, a Republican from Manchester, New Hampshire, turned himself in on Monday to face assault charges.

Yesterday at 13:08

A US state senator has been arrested after allegedly slapping and spitting on an employee during an altercation at an Irish pub two months ago.

Keith Murphy, a Republican from Manchester, New Hampshire, turned himself in on Monday to face assault charges.

The incident took place at Murphy’s Taproom, which Murphy owns, back in April, according to the Manchester Police Department.

Police said that an employee claimed he was spat on and slapped by Murphy during an argument at the venue.

Surveillance footage, which has not yet been released to the public, allegedly verified the employee’s claims.

Authorities said the CCTV footage also showed Murphy picking up a chair “in an aggressive manner”.

Murphy (47) is charged with two counts of simple assault and one count of criminal threatening.

The state senator was released on personal recognizance bail and is due to appear in court again on July 24.

The politician issued a social media statement on Monday to protest his innocence.

“I am innocent of these charges and I look forward to my day in court,” he wrote on Facebook.

“When the facts are known it will be clear that the police have charged the victim in this case. I will be defending my name, reputation, and business through the legal process, and I defer all further questions to my attorney, Donna Brown.”

“Withhold judgment until that happens,” he added.

Murphy opened Murphy’s Taproom in Manchester, NH in April 2007 and expanded to a second location in Bedford, NH ten years later with his two business partners.

The restaurant and bar’s website reads: “Keith Murphy has been in the hospitality industry for 29 years, working his way from dishwasher to restaurant owner.

“He opened the original Murphy’s Taproom on Elm Street in Manchester, NH, in 2007, and expanded it three times before opening a huge new location in Bedford in 2017.

“A graduate of the University of Baltimore and the University of Maryland, he was a four-term state representative in Bedford before opening his latest venture. Keith is a father to Lexi, Aidan, and Finn Murphy.”