Teammate Headbutted During Boozy Post-Match Rugby Drink-Up

Charged: Henry Peuble

A fly-half with the England deaf rugby team headbutted a teammate during after-match drinks - fracturing his skull and causing brain damage - after the injured player said his “hearing was s***,” a court heard yesterday.

Henry Peuble, 30, was drinking with London Welsh RFC teammates when a row broke out with Imperial College PhD student Alexander Mitchener, 29.

He suffered a fracture to the base of his skull, plus bleeding and bruising to the brain outside The Northcote pub, Clapham Junction in the early hours of August 20, 2023.

Peuble, of Aylward Road, Wimbledon has pleaded not guilty at Kingston-upon-Thames Crown Court - where he is following the trial with the assistance of a hearing loop - to inflicting grievous bodily harm, with intent.

Mr Mitchener, who denies making any offensive remark regarding Peuble’s hearing, told the jury: “My last memory is turning towards the defendant and saying: ‘What the f***? What’s the issue?’

“It then all goes black at that point apart from a snippet of being in the ambulance and covered in blood at the hospital getting staples put into my head.”

Now a Doctor of Philosophy, with a PhD in Aerosol Science and Respiratory Health Mr Mitchener told the jury he has not fully recovered from his injuries nearly three years later and has difficulties with short-term memory.

Both had travelled with London Welsh to Canterbury earlier in the day, with Mr Mitchener playing for the second team and Peuble the first team.

Peuble’s lawyer Michael Newport suggested to Mr Mitchener he made disparaging comments from the sideline, regarding the first teamer’s lack of hearing.

“You referred to his disability and inability to hear things. You said his hearing was s*** and was the reason for moves breaking down on the field was because he could not hear the calls.”

Hospital: Alexander Mitchener

Mr Mitchener denied making a such remarks, repeating he was “frustrated” during the evening drinks about the allegation.

“Nobody told me at the time when I asked them what I was supposed to have said.

“I have a lot of respect for Henry that he plays rugby at the level he does.”

The trial heard the team had a drink after the Canterbury match and more drinks when they returned to their club in Richmond, before setting off for further drinks at two locations.

Mr Mitchener said he had “three or four” beers before arriving at The Northcote.

“I recall being informed that something I was supposed to have said had been taken badly and that’s when things turned south.

“Henry was convinced I had said something offensive and I went over to him with a drink and said sorry.

“He was extremely angry and I asked for clarity, but never got it.

“I wouldn’t want to rub people up the wrong way and kept apologising even though I didn’t know what I was supposed rot have said.”

Mr Mitchener was outside waiting for an Uber when he got into a discussion with Peuble again, resulting in the headbutt.

“Rugby is a competitive environment and there is testy back and forth,” he conceded. “There is a bit of banter with rugby people, who test each other and everybody wants to be a tough guy.”

Mr Mitchener agreed he may have been drunk at the time of the 1.00am incident and also been angry with his teammates.

However, he insisted the defendant was worse. “He was incredibly threatening and aggressive.

“He was so angry with me that inside the pub he threatened to beat my head in.”

Earlier prosecutor Jonathan Gold told the jury: "There is no dispute he caused very serious harm. The issue is did he intend it?"

CCTV footage recorded outside the pub shows Mr Mitchener leaning in towards the defendant and the defence suggest security staff prevented his re-entry to the venue.

Other drinkers attempted to intervene and calm the situation by removing Mr Mitchener from the confrontation.

However, Mr Gold added: "There is not a need for the defendant to defend himself. It was a deliberate head butt to the face, a deliberate action that can lead to serious harm."  

Trial continues…………

Jailed: Pervert Caught By Fellow Train Passenger

A pervert, who was seen by a fellow train passenger viewing sickening images of child abuse on his phone, is starting a prison sentence of two years and three months.

David Johnson, 35, of Francis Chichester Way, Wandsworth, was sentenced at Inner London Crown Court.

He pleaded guilty to six counts of making indecent images of children, two counts of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child and arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence.

Johnson was also handed a Sexual Harm Prevention Order (SHPO) for ten years and must also sign the sex offender register for the same period.

The court heard that at around midday on September 23, last year Johnson was travelling on a train from Stafford to London.

A male passenger sitting behind him could see Johnson's mobile phone screen.

The man could see Johnson exchanging messages with someone before he opened a video showing a young child being abused. 

He then switched to another chat where a person asked him 'what kinds of videos do you like? I have all kinds'. Johnson replied, 'just kids videos'.

Stunned, the man messaged his own partner to say what was happening. 

When he looked back up, Johnson was watching another video showing an even younger child being abused.

The man was so shaken by what he had seen he got up to move to another part of the carriage before reporting Johnson using British Transport Police's (BTP) 61016 text service.

BTP officers rushed to meet the train at London Euston railway station, where Johnson was arrested on suspicion of possession of indecent images of children.

He was searched and officers seized his mobile phone – its screen wallpaper was an indecent image of a child.

When he was taken into custody, Johnson asked officers if he could have his property back as he “needed to delete some stuff”. 

He offered no comment to all questions put to him in interview.

Officers began searching two addresses linked to Johnson and seized a number of devices for examination. 

The phone seized at his arrest was found to contain nearly 200 indecent images of children, including 105 in category A – the most severe images.

As part of their enquiries detectives also recovered two chat transcripts, one of which showed he had been speaking to a girl he believed was 13 years old and had arranged to meet her for sex.

The other chat transcript was with an older woman and appeared to reference the same 13-year-old girl, but the woman had told Johnson that he could not see her as she was unwell. 

Johnson stated that he was on the train back to London – the journey in which the passenger saw his phone that ultimately led to his arrest.

Officers later established that the 13-year-old girl did not exist.

BTP Detective Constable Victoria Lowth said: "The quick thinking and courage of the man who saw Johnson's phone meant that we were able to quickly arrest him and uncover the scale of his offending. 

“I’d like to offer our sincerest thanks to that man, whose actions have directly led to Johnson's imprisonment.

“Behind every image and video Johnson owned is a vulnerable child that has been exploited and abused. 

“He is clearly a danger to children and has rightly been handed a substantial jail sentence and stringent conditions have been put in place to prevent him from offending further.

“We will always do everything we can to make the railway a hostile place for criminals, and especially those whose offending targets children.”

Look At The Camera: Thug Hunted For Tube Station Punch

A tube train passenger was punched unconscious at Newbury Park Underground station in east London by a mystery assailant now wanted by police.

British Transport Police (BTP) have released this image of their suspect.

At approximately 7.45pm on Sunday, March 22 a stranger walking alongside the victim suddenly punched him in the face, knocking him to the ground.

The blow and fall caused the passenger to lose consciousness. 

The unknown male then ran out of the east London Central Line station.

Officers would like to speak to the man pictured, as they believe he may have information that can help their investigation.

Anyone who recognises him or witnessed the incident is asked to contact BTP by texting 61016 or by calling 0800 40 50 40, quoting reference 592 of 22 March.

Information can also be given anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Tajikistan Predator Convicted Of Trying To Rape 13 Year-Old Girl On Train

A sexual predator, who targeted a 13 year-old girl onboard a train, has been convicted of what investigating police describe as an “abhorrent” series of offences.

Tajikistan national Abdulmanon Aliev,50, of Rye Lane, Peckham was convicted after a week-long trial at Inner London Crown Court.

The jury found him guilty of two counts of assault by penetration; three counts of sexual assault and one count of attempted rape.

He will be sentenced at the same court on 17 June. 

On the afternoon of June 16, last year the young girl was travelling from Southend to London's Fenchurch Street station.

During the journey she was approached by Aliev, who deliberately sat opposite her and attempted to use a translator app on his phone to communicate with her.

She moved away from him to sit in a window seat, but he followed the teenager and sat next to her in an aisle seat, blocking her.

Aliev forced himself upon the victim and subjected her to a prolonged sexual assault until the service arrived at its destination. 

She left the train and boarded another heading back out of London, leaving Aliev behind at the station.

She reported what she endured to members of the public, who encountered her in a distressed state, and the police were informed shortly after.

British Transport Police (BTP) detectives launched an urgent investigation to identify Aliev, trawling hours of CCTV footage to track his movements before and after the attack.

The manhunt ended on June 27 when plain clothes officers spotted him in Peckham, South London, and he was immediately arrested.

His home address was searched and officers located and seized the clothes he was wearing on the day of the attack.

BTP Detective Constable Elizabeth Cahill said: “Aliev singled out a vulnerable child and subjected her to one of the most abhorrent sexual assaults I’ve ever investigated.

“While the focus of attention will rightly be on him as the despicable sexual predator that he is, I want to pay tribute to the brave victim who reported him to police.

“This verdict would not have been possible without her account of what happened and her willingness to support our investigation.

“We take every sexual offence report extremely seriously and we’ll stop at nothing to put offenders like Aliev before the courts.”