A Royal Navy officer, who smashed a wine bottle over the head of a fellow wedding guest during a midnight clean-up row, has been cleared of GBH.
Innocent: Joe Simmons
Weapons engineer Joe Simmons, 28, lashed out after his bridesmaid girlfriend, 28 year-old Beatrix Sibley told him she had been assaulted by another guest at St. Luke’s Church, Kew, the trial heard.
Moments later Gareth Hopkins, 40, was struck over the head with the heavy full wine bottle, causing two deep 6cm and 4cm cuts, plus splintered bone fractures, causing him to blackout.
However, the Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court jury accepted Simmons was acting in self-defence, having been punched first by Mr Hopkins during the post-reception confrontation.
When questioned by police Simmons explained: “I just lashed out or pushed him away. I was shouting: ‘What the f*** do you think you are doing?’
“It was not an aimed blow. I used the hand that happened to be holding the bottle.”
Simmons, of Linden Lea, Fareham, Hampshire was found not guilty of wounding media productions manager Mr Hopkins, with intent to cause him grievous bodily harm on October 24, 2021.
He was also cleared of a lesser charge of simply wounding University of East Anglia graduate Mr Hopkins, who the jury were told got two punches in before he was struck with the wine bottle.
Earlier Ms Sibley - the bride’s sister - antagonised Mr Hopkins and other guests of the groom, who claimed she was rude when urging them to assist the clean-up.
The trial heard she slapped Mr Hopkins hard across the face when he asked her: “Why are you being such a c***?”
The jury were told Simmons, who has a Masters degree in Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering, confronted Mr Hopkins after the confrontation with Ms Sibley, herself a chemical engineer with a Masters degree.
“Mr Hopkins was aware of this defendant approaching him very quickly and shouting,” explained prosecutor Christopher Amis. “He thought Mr Simmons was about to assault him so got a punch in first.
“This was followed by a second punch to the defendant’s face and Mr Simmons had not done anything at this point, but Mr Hopkins says when he punched he was acting in self-defence.
“As other wedding guests jumped in between them Mr Hopkins felt something hitting his forehead very hard and he blacked-out, while holding his face.
“The defendant was in possession of a bottle of wine and had put that into the other man’s face.
“The bottle smashed and Mr Hopkins went straight to the ground and witnesses say both the defendant and his girlfriend were shouting loudly and aggressively.”
Wounds: Gareth Hopkins
As the couple left in a taxi, 999 was called and an ambulance rushed the injured guest to Kingston Hospital, where he remained for three nights.
“He had been pretty badly injured with two pretty nasty gashes and two black eyes sustained from this bottling,” added Mr Amis.
Mr Hopkins told the jury: “I was tipsy, but not drunk. I had wine and beer and it was a really good day, a celebration, a really good wedding.
“One of the bridesmaids, the bride Amy’s sister, demanded we start to help packing up and said it in an aggressive way and I was a bit taken aback by the way she said it.
“We followed her inside and started to help putting the decorations into bags and she said we were doing it wrong and that we were useless and to: ‘F*** off.’
“That’s what she said to us. She was in an aggressive state and I wanted to get away from her because she wanted to cause trouble.
“She barged my friend Lucy with her shoulder and I did say: ‘Why are you being such a c***?’ and she slapped me.
“I did not see it coming and it was really hard to my left cheek and I could not hear in my ear and was a bit dazed and confused,” he told the trial.
“Beatrix then grabbed Lucy’s hair and they got into a hair-pulling thing, a catfight and they may have been rolling on the floor and there was a biting incident.
“The defendant was coming at me in an aggressive manner and I could hear him shouting, but not the exact words because my ear was ringing.
“He got very close up into my face and I felt like I was going to be attacked and hit him with a right jab because I thought I was about to be hit. I punched him on the cheek.
“Someone from the wedding party pushed us apart and then I just felt a tremendous force hitting my forehead. When it struck it was a pounding pain.
“I felt a lot of liquid coming down my face, which I realised was blood and I lost power in my legs and I could still hear shouting and screaming at me and did not feel safe.
“The pain got worse and worse and I was close to losing unconsciousness and cowered behind a car as he shouted: ‘I’m gonna kill him,’ as he repeated the word ‘c***’ a lot.”
Mr Amis told the jury: “Earlier, according to some of the guests, Ms Sibley had been stroppy towards Mr Hopkins’ group and to others. She was angry or put out that she was having to clean up as other guests were standing around and not helping.
“Ms Sibley demanded to know why Mr Hopkins and his friends were not helping and in their eyes said rudely: ‘Why aren’t you guys helping clear up.’
“Mr Hopkins and his group started trying to help, but it did not seem to be appreciated and a few moments later Ms Sibley told them they were not being of any help at all and said: ‘F*** off.’
“She was still bothered and knocked or barged into Mr Hopkins’ friend, Lucy Richardson, which the complainant viewed as deliberate and said: ‘Why are you being such a c***?’
“He felt Ms Sibley had been rude and stroppy and she responded by slapping Mr Hopkins really hard to the face. It stunned him and he had to sit down on a bench.
“As she walked away Mr Hopkins followed, remonstrating with her, stunned that she slapped him in the face with such force.”
When Simmons emerges, carrying some bags and the bottle of wine, a guest overheard Ms Sibley telling him she had been assaulted, the jury were told.
When Simmons was questioned by on December 15, 2021 he told officers he was protecting himself. “He says he was acting in self-defence and saw Ms Sibley involved in an argument,” explained Mr Amis.
“He told the police a man came running across the road and punched him hard in the face.”
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