Master Tailor's Midnight Mayfair Assault

Cut Up Rough: Benettello

A master tailor, who has worked with the world’s leading designer brands, had to be dragged off his girlfriend as he bashed her head on the pavement outside a luxury five-star Mayfair hotel, a court heard.

Richard Benettello, 41, claims they were drunk after eating and drinking at a landmark Peruvian restaurant and he was guilty of nothing more than “excessive self-defence.”

Benettello, who has worked with Giorgio Armani; Dolce & Gabbana and Burberry, was pulled off girlfriend Solankhe Tchikaya, 37, by a security guard outside The Athenaeum, Piccadilly on May 27, last year.

He pleaded guilty at City of London Magistrates’ Court to assaulting the graduate marketing and communications specialist, who attended the University of Westminster and King’s College London.

Benettello, of Fulham Road, West Brompton was bailed to July 29 for a pre-sentence report on condition he does not contact his ex or visit her address in Munster Road, Fulham.

Prosecutor Robert Simpson told the court the couple had just dined at the nearby COYA Mayfair restaurant, leaving at half past midnight.

“The restaurant manager Filomena Clarizio says she heard a call and thought something was happening outside the restaurant.

“She saw the defendant and his partner and he was on top of her and she describes him hitting her head against the pavement.”

The manager gave a police statement explaining: “I saw the male on top. He had hold of her hair and was smashing her head on the ground and security staff came out and separated them.”

Pavement: Tchikaya

Ms Tchikaya told the witnesses: “He gets like that when he is upset,” and Benettello said: “I did nothing.” 

Mr Simpson added: “Security staff from The Athenaeum came out and separated the couple and the defendant was overwrought at the time and there was blood on his hand.”

The blood was Benettello’s and Ms Tchikaya suffered no visible injuries.

“The police were called and he was arrested,” added Mr Simpson. “When he was interviewed the defendant gave a prepared statement and made no further comment.

“The complainant has not supported the prosecution at any time and did make a statement that nothing had happened and would have been a defence witness today if there had been a trial.”

However, Ms Clarizio and the security guard attended and were prepared to give evidence against Benettello.

Milad Shojaei, defending, told the court: “The complainant did not support this prosecution and never has.

“He accepts there was excessive self-defence when they were intoxicated and they had a stumble.

“He accepts he behaved excessively. The paramedics confirm there were no injuries to her head and the blood was the defendant’s.”