Christening Party Guest Cleared Of Broken Bottle Attack

Not Guilty: Steven Beckford

A christening party guest, accused of slashing his former best man's neck with a broken lager bottle – inflicting a wound requiring 42 stitches – has today been cleared of all charges by a jury.

Steven Beckford, 24, of Skipper Close, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire was said to have pursued one-time friend Neil Thompson from The Palace community centre in south London and attacked him from behind with a broken Heineken bottle.

However, Beckford claimed Mr. Thompson was the aggressor and threw the bottle through the window of his car and fell on the shattered glass as the pair wrestled on the ground.

He was found not guilty at Southwark Crown Court of inflicting grievous bodily harm, with intent, and possessing an offensive weapon in Coburg Crescent, Tulse Hill on July 28, last year.

Prosecutor Mr. John Evison told the court the happy occasion, which began on a warm Sunday afternoon, turned sour when an argument erupted between Beckford's wife Keisha and Mr. Thompson's girlfriend Monique Hutchinson.

“Neil and Monique decided to leave, they had their young son with them, and thereafter the assault took place.

“This defendant and Keisha ran after them and the defendant grabbed an expensive gold chain Mr. Thompson was wearing around his neck and wouldn't hand it back.

“The defendant, who had a Heineken bottle, smashed it on the ground and ran after Neil and stabbed him in the neck and back as Neil was running away.”

As well as the neck wound Mr. Thompson also received six separate injuries to his back, which also required stitches.

Fellow party-goers pulled the defendant off and he left with Keisha and their child and an ambulance rushed Mr. Thompson to Kings College Hospital, where he remained for twenty-four hours.

Police traced Beckford to his Aylesbury home and he was quizzed at Peckham Police Station the next day, where he claimed Mr. Thompson and Monique were the aggressors.

“He said Neil punched him in the mouth, causing bleeding and said Neil picked up the Heineken bottle and flung it at his red Fiesta car, smashing the driver's side window.

“The defendant said Neil kicked him in the head and there was a tussle between them on the ground for the bottle, which had fallen to the floor.”