Woman denies provoking Thomas Etherton’s alleged GBH attack at Shell garage in Padworth

A WOMAN whose boyfriend had his eye socket shattered by a punch angrily denied she provoked the incident.

Trevor Ball had gone with Michelle Hoile to return a phone they had found in the street to its owner, Thomas Etherton.

They had arranged a rendezvous at the Shell garage on the A4 Bath Road at Padworth.

But instead of handing over a promised £40 reward, Mr Etherton felled Mr Ball with a single punch, Reading Crown Court has heard.

Mr Ball has already told jurors how the blow shattered his eye socket resulting in hospital treatment.

He said that, when he placed his own SIM in the phone he found, he was contacted by Mr Etherton who offered him money to return it that night.

“He offered me £20 then £40.

“We arranged to meet (the following day) and he said he would bring the £40.”

But when they met he claimed Mr Etherton refused to shake his hand and told him he was not going to give him any cash after all.

He said Mr Etherton then exclaimed: “What’s my f****** phone doing all the way up here – I should slap you two.”

Mr Ball said by this time “I just wanted to give him his stuff and leave,” adding: “I wasn’t aggressive at all – not at all.

Describing the subsequent punch, Mr Ball said: “It was just so unexpected – I thought my eye had come out.

“There was so much blood and so much pain.

“I’ve never been through anything like that before.

Thirty-one-year-old Mr Etherton, who was living in Sandleford Lane, Greenham, denies unlawfully and maliciously causing grievous bodily harm on September 29, 2019, claiming he acted in self defence.

The court has heard how he has previous convictions for violence which, the prosecution claim, makes Mr Ball’s version of events more compelling.

Yesterday (Wednesday), Mr Ball’s girlfriend Michelle Hoile gave her account.

Under cross examination by the defence, she denied she had grabbed Mr Etherton by the arm and demanded he pay the promised cash.

She insisted she had “absolutely not” been aggressive before Mr Etherton launched his punch.

Ms Hoile said: “The phone was broken; he wanted the SIM card, not the phone.

“He punched Trevor with a clenched fist.”

She said Mr Etherton got back in his car and drove off at speed, adding: “A man who came out of the garage was chasing him down the road to get his licence plate.

“One woman who had frozen stuff in her shopping bag put that on Trevor’s eye; another woman bandaged it – she was also in shock.”

Mr Ball has told jurors both he and Ms Hoile had been addicted to crack cocaine and heroin at the time but insisted money was not an issue on that day because they had just received a benefits payment.

The jury has been told that both Mr Ball and Ms Hoile, who were living near the Shell garage, have convictions for public order offences.

Ms Hoile also has a previous conviction for assault.

The trial continues.