Marine knocked out football fan with one punch in front of 12-year-old girl
A ROYAL Marine, due to be sent to an Afghan war zone, knocked down a fellow Derby County fan with one punch after a football match – in front of the victim's young daughter.
Anthony Newton flew into a rage after his victim, Phillip Marson, banged on the rear windscreen of his car as fans left the Championship match between Derby County and Coventry City.
Derby Crown Court heard that Newton attacked Mr Marson in front of his 12-year-old daughter outside Pride Park stadium.
Newton – whose duties as a member of the marine commando logistics regiment involve dealing with battle casualties – could be sent to Sangin, in Helmand Province, in April.
Giving the 24-year-old a 12-month community order, Recorder Sally Hancox told Newton: "If someone throws a stone at you in Sangin or someone shouts abuse in the street and you react in that way, all hell could break loose."
She ordered him to pay £1,000 compensation to his victim.
Sarah Allen, prosecuting, said about 26,000 fans had been at the game and described the scene outside the ground, on November 6 last year, as "chaotic" as people tried to leave.
She said Mr Marson, of Derby, saw Newton driving his car "impatiently" and slapped the back window to warn him to wait until the road was clear of pedestrians.
Miss Allen said the next thing Mr Marson remembered was waking up with ambulance staff around him.
The court heard how Mr Marson's daughter saw Newton get out of his car and shout "come on then" before punching her father.
Miss Allen said a police constable also saw the attack and described how Newton "ducked and dived" like a boxer before knocking Mr Marson down with one blow.
He was taken to hospital and treated for a laceration to the back of his head but a scan showed no brain injury or skull fracture.
Keith Raynor, in mitigation, said Newton was highly regarded by the marines and had been praised by the commanding officer of the Special Boat Service.
Mr Raynor added: "He apologises absolutely for this incident. He accepts this was disgraceful conduct."
Newton, of Patricia Drive, Arnold, pleaded guilty to assault causing actual bodily harm and was ordered to do 100 hours of unpaid work and pay prosecution costs of £625.
10 Comments
View all
by flyingtheflag, Derby
Thursday, September 09 2010, 11:30AM
“I believe that the through road to pass the stadium is closed at match times but the road to the JJB and other local businesses remains open.
I play football at JJB and have been stuck in the traffic around the stadium at match times, so I understand the frustrations- I understand your comment about pedestrians having right of way once they have begun crossing the road and whilst my comment was flippant my arguement does stand up.
The section of road still open to the businesses carries a 40 mph speed limit changing sometime after the island outside the stadium, your arguement that the law is on the pedestrians side is flawed because as a pedestrian you cannot decide to just enter the road in front of a moving car and then when struck claim that you have the right of way, the pedestrian has to wait until a sensible time to cross. Also as the pedestrians walk three deep on the road to the stadium does that mean that they have right of way and the car cannot pass until they decide that they want to get back onto the pavement?
As a resposible pedestrian / person if the cars exist is clear you have to stop, as a motorist in that position are you saying they should wait until thousands of people have crossed the road? Imagine for one moment the gridlock that would cause around Derby at match time? Do you think that is acceptable?
What about when the pedestrians walk around the parked buses in the roadway?
I do not condone his actions as I put on the post but equally you cannot condone the actions of the 'victim' - If he hadn't decided to slap or tap the window do you think we would be commenting on this now?
Sorry if you think I am being pedantic but a little more consideration from match goers would result in incidents like this never happening.
Possible multiposts (again! Due to error message)”
by Rob, Derby
Thursday, September 09 2010, 10:26AM
“After a game the streets around Pride Park are actually closed by the Police due to the large volume of people leaving the stadium on foot - therefore pedestrians don't walk on the pavements. Given the location of the incident I'd guess this squaddie had parked in JJB and then got a bit miffed when he realised that he'd have to wait for the crowd to subside before he could get out - so he was trying to bust his way through the crowd with aggressive and dangerous driving.
The law actually says that if a pedestrian is already in the road then a driver must give them right of way - so your argument (and yes I do realise you were trying to be clever) doesn't stand up.
At the end of the day - some guy tapped on his car to alert the driver that his actions weren't being appreciated - he had no intent to damage the car. Did he deserve to be knocked unconcious? Of course not. Newton needs to learn some self-control. His actions are those of a pathetic coward. What chance do we stand in a war if we have soldiers with impulse control this bad?”
by flyingtheflag, Derby
Wednesday, September 08 2010, 12:10PM
“I was there in the crowd after that game - the street outside the ground was full of pedestrians as it always is immediately after the game, and this guy was driving impatitently and nearly hitting children.
Rob, Derby.
Sorry Rob I retract everything I said in my previous post - I obviously didn't realise that this guy was driving impatitently on the pavement!
How can he nearly hit children or anyone for that matter if they are walking on the pavement and acting as they should on a busy road?
(please note I am still not condoning his actions after the event)”
by flyingtheflag, Derby
Wednesday, September 08 2010, 12:09PM
“I was there in the crowd after that game - the street outside the ground was full of pedestrians as it always is immediately after the game, and this guy was driving impatitently and nearly hitting children.
Rob, Derby.
Sorry Rob I retract everything I said in my previous post - I obviously didn't realise that this guy was driving impatitently on the pavement!
How can he nearly hit children or anyone for that matter if they are walking on the pavement and acting as they should on a busy road?
(please note I am still not condoning his actions after the event)”
by micky, allicante
Tuesday, September 07 2010, 12:10AM
“what has the status, i dont think the guys from derby got to do ,with the incident, so what if he is from notts, he was at the game to see ,a guy he knows,play for coventry, as i stated earlier, the guy was most likley provoked, an armed forces guy is,trained to keep his cool, how many off the injured guys mates were there,at the time, why was he not arrested for crimminal damage,or with attempt,to a motor vehicle, and an achy elbow,is not the same ,as a squady off 19 ,shot to bits, or a child losing a father in battle. sorry ,like i say donate the award to help for heros,and think off some of the poor service ,men an women,who are suffering with lot more,than a dented elbow and pride,and i think the recorder must have let ,their anti war personal thoughts interfear,they had no right to quote a scenerio,from a military opperation, unless they are a military consul;”