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| Judo Champ: Lionel Hibbert |
A former British judo champion was convicted today of knocking a mini-cab driver to the ground after spitting in his face during a road rage confrontation.
Lionel Hibbert, 53, who won the title in 1992 and now teaches kids got into a confrontation after both drivers competed for the same lane in heavy traffic.
The social housing builder, of Wood Close, Kingsbury, an instructor at Pride Judo Club, Vale Farm Sport Centre, North Wembley, says he’s been the victim of a miscarriage of justice.
He claims he only spat at mini-cab driver Zabihullah Habib’s windscreen after receiving racial abuse and used just his left arm put him to the floor in self-defence.
Hibbert was convicted of assaulting Mr. Habib in Watford Road, Wembley on March 12 and must return to Willesden Magistrates Court for sentencing on June 8.
The incident was captured on video by a passing motorist, which Hibbert says exonerates him, but the court refused to admit it as evidence.
The victim told the trial Hibbert cut him up in the middle of busy rush-hour traffic at 5pm.
“He managed to get in front of me when he should not have been in the bus lane to do it and caused the traffic to come to a standstill as he blocked both lanes and I sounded my horn.
“He put his head out of the window and started swearing at me and got out of the vehicle. He was very angry, very aggressive, swearing at the same time.
“I got out to tell him he had to move, that he was in my way and he spat at me. It landed on the left-hand side of my cheek.
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| Road Row: Zabihullah Habib |
“I returned to my car to make a note of his registration number and asked my cousin to call the police.
“As I was trying to take a note I suddenly received a punch to the back of my head, the right side of my neck.
I fell to the ground and landed on my knees and started to feel pain and my right arm started to bleed.”
The cabbie claimed Hibbert tried to flee in a panic. “I opened his door to stop him and he got out of his car and ran after me, trying to hit me.”
Hibbert told the court he exchanged glances with Mr. Habib as they fought for road space. “He drove straight towards me and hit my wheel arch and just carried on.
“I said to him: ‘Are you f***ing crazy?’ He stood in front of my face and called me a dirty black b******.
“I was shocked and thought he was going to do something and there were a few more racial overtones. It was wrong, but I spat on his windscreen.
“He made a very aggressive walk towards me and made a bit of a lunge and I thought he was going to punch me.
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| Tarmac Tatami: Habib Goes Down |
“I pulled him towards me, spun him around and set him on the floor. I never punched him.”
Hibbert told the magistrates: “I represented Great Britain for over fifteen years all over the world competing.
“It was minimum force. I just grabbed him and put him on the floor before he could throw a fist at me.”
An eye witness came forward to say Hibbert was aggressive and angry and at one point had Mr. Habib in a headlock and the cabbie’s cousin backed-up his account.
Hibbert spent over fourteen hours in police custody afterwards. “They just handcuffed me and put me straight in the van.
“I don’t see why as a big black geezer I’m pointed out as the aggressor.”
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