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An Asda employee who was kicked and punched unconscious by a martial arts expert in a Spiderman outfit was unable to leave her home out of sheer embarrassment, a court has heard.
Self-proclaimed ‘influencer’ Josh McDonald, 33, took part in a fancy-dress invasion of Asda in Clapham Junction in July 2021 along with a number of other pranksters.
Footage emerged of McDonald, an MMA black belt, attacking supervisor Lauren Scott as she tried to defend herself.
Ms Scott was then punched in the face by trained kickboxer Sophie Roberts, 19, who was dressed as Little Red Riding Hood.
When Ms Scott tried to defend herself, McDonald high-kicked and punched her unconscious, Kingston Crown Court heard.
Pictured is Josh McDonald kicking Lauren Scott out cold in Asda in Clapham Junction, London
She suffered a fracture to the bone of her left eye socket as well as bruising to the face, particularly around the eye area.
A victim impact statement from Ms Scott was read in court this afternoon, and detailed how she was left ‘feeling vulnerable’ after the incident and that she wasn’t able to leave the house ‘because she was exhausted and embarrassed’ by her injuries.
Gang leader George O’Boyle, 30, was dressed as Ali G as he threatened to punch staff as he led his online followers, also in fancy dress, into the supermarket.
Asda staff were beaten with metal bars, punched, kicked, and left bloodied after the mob burst into the shop’s storeroom.
McDonald trained at the Black Dragon Martial Arts Academy in Northampton and bragged of being a contender for the Iska kickboxing world championship’ in Stuttgart, Germany in 2016.
Rikki McKenzie, 37, a one-legged amateur boxer, also from Northampton, had dressed up as the faux-disabled character ‘Andy’ from Little Britain during the invasion.
When staff tried to force him out of the shop, he fell from his wheelchair.
Prosecutor Nick Mather said ‘It’s the Crown’s case that intimidation of members of staff began almost as they came into the store.
Ms Scott was punched in the face by trained kickboxer Sophie Roberts (pictured), 19, who was dressed as Little Red Riding Hood
Pictured: George O’Boyle (left) and Josh McDonald (right), who kicked and punched Lauren Scott
‘Staff were pushed by various defendants, and others, and matters then proceeded to areas of the store to which the public do not have access.
‘It is quite clear the security staff were outnumbered; they were the ones being pushed to the back of the store with the other defendants following them.
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‘Lauren Scott, attempting to calm the situation down, she was not behaving in an aggressive way at all, spoke in particular to Ms Roberts.’
CCTV footage shown in court this afternoon showed Ms Scott and Ms Roberts enter into an altercation after Roberts strikes Ms Scott with her hand.
Witnessing the altercation, Josh McDonald intervenes by administering ‘a kick below the head and a punch’ to Ms Scott, the court heard.
McDonald, of Northampton, and O’Boyle, admitted assault causing actual bodily harm and violent disorder.
O’Boyle, of Surbiton, south London, admitted both violent disorder and assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH).
Roberts, also of Northampton, admitted ABH and a public order offence involving threats of violence.
McKenzie also admitted a public order offence involving threats of violence.
Sophie Roberts (pictured) dressed as Little Red Riding Hood
Mark Pettigrew, 38, from west London, was dressed as an ‘Army Man’ as he attacked two workers in the staff room
Pettigrew admitted a public order offence involving violent threats and was sentenced this afternoon to four months in prison suspended for six months. He must also pay £300 fine and £128 victim surcharge.
O’Boyle’s girlfriend, mother-of-two Katie Pickard, 31, was dressed as a nun while Charlie Jay Sharp, 19, from Northampton, was wearing a purple onesie.
But the prosecution earlier offered no evidence against the pair on charges of violent disorder.
O’Boyle, known as ‘Gee Money’ online, had more than 50,000 followers and was known for performing stunts in shops after boastings: ‘Supermarkets are my playground.’
He has previous criminal damage convictions following his pranks while Roberts had more than 20,000 followers on Instagram.
McDonald, O’Boyle and McKenzie had their sentencing adjourned this afternoon, after the prosecution had opened, due to a request for an adjournment by their respective counsels.
They will be sentenced on June 20 at Kingston Crown Court.
Roberts’ sentence was also adjourned as her counsel requested a pre-sentence report to be carried out. She will be sentenced on August 3 also at Kingston Crown Court
The court heard that due to the store being forced to close for an hour and a half the night of the incident, Asda was subjected to a £5000 financial loss.
The store also had to shell out £33,000 in sick pay, on top of the £17,500 statutory sick pay, for their colleagues who missed periods of work and hire additional security staff.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk
