Footballer punched man in town centre, court hears

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In the dock at West Berkshire Magistrates' Court on Thursday, February 5, was Jamie Lee Turley, of Deadmans Lane, Greenham.
Magistrates heard the 24-year-old, who had been drinking all day at the Hennessy Gold Cup event at Newbury Racecourse, twice punched his victim outside Arcade Mews in the town centre.
Jennifer Riddell, prosecuting, said: “Around 1.20am police on duty saw two males having an argument. This defendant pulled back his right arm and punched the other man in the face.
“The aggrieved fell to the floor and had blood on his face.”
Mr Turley was arrested and told police he had been drinking beer and Jack Daniels whiskey all day, the court heard.
Ms Riddell added: “He said he had seen the aggrieved get kicked out of a bar 20 minutes earlier and was trying to calm him down.
“The victim, Sean Benton, had apparently said something about his family.
“He accepted he had punched him twice in the face during a couple of seconds of rage.
“He said he hadn’t punched Sean while on the floor because he saw Sean’s ‘eyes had gone’.”
Mr Turley admitted using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour on November 30 last year.
Mike Davis, defending, said his client had fathered a child with a woman who had previously been in a relationship with the aggrieved, who had two children with her.
He added: “So they knew each other but there had never been any friction before. Alcohol, it must be said, played a part.”
Mr Davis said Mr Benton had instigated the violence by headbutting his client who had shown police officers a cut lip which resulted.
He suggested Mr Benton had not pressed charges of assault “because he knew he may not have had the moral high ground in this instance”.
He pointed out that Mr Turley had stopped his assault as soon as he saw Mr Benton lying helpless with eyes rolling in his head.
Mr Davis pointed out that his client was a professional sportsman with no previous convictions.
Magistrates fined Mr Turley £250 and ordered him to pay £85 costs plus a statutory surcharge of £25.
Mr Turley began his career with Football League side Wycombe Wanderers.
Now with Eastleigh FC in Hampshire, he was named England ‘C’ Player of the Year 2013 at the inaugural FA England Awards.