Former world champion boxer Joe Cordina punched a man outside a petrol station two weeks after police issued him with a "threat to life warning". The Welsh boxer got into an altercation with an individual who claimed he had boxed with Cordina when he was younger on the forecourt of the Texaco petrol station on Pentwyn Road, Cardiff, at around 11am on Friday, February 27.
Cordina claimed the man then told him he was going to blow up him and his mum's house. Cordina had pleaded not guilty to two counts of assault by beating of Jamie O'Brien, at an earlier hearing at Cardiff Magistrates' Court. District Judge Charlotte Murphy formally dismissed the second charge.
Video triggers police investigation
The court heard how a video published by WalesOnline on March 3 showing two men involved in a brawl outside a petrol station triggered a police investigation and welfare checks for those involved. Alex Orndal, prosecuting, explained that the police identified the two men as Joe Cordina, 34, of Pontprennau and Jamie O'Brien, 32, from Pentwyn.
Mr Orndal showed the court a series of CCTV clips and one video captured by a bystander which showed the incident between the pair unfolding. The footage showed O'Brien on the pavement outside the petrol station shortly after Cordina arrived and got out to fill his car up with petrol.
Cordina's account of the incident
Giving evidence to the court, Cordina recalled how he saw O'Brien staring at him but said he was often the subject of public attention and that he was used to being recognised around four or five times a day. Cordina said: "I have it quite often, four to five times a day. They stare, some of them are a bit shell shocked, they always stare and then come out with something like, 'can I have a photo' or they come and shake my hand.
"I have people staring at me every day. I thought he was staring at me. He shouted something but I couldn't grasp what he was saying so I looked back at him and I called him. I wanted to know if he wanted a photo or if there was a reason he kept staring at me, or if there was an issue."
Cordina said O'Brien told him to come over but he said "two mins" because he needed to finish filling his car up with petrol. Tyrique Golding, who witnessed the incident, also gave evidence to the court. Mr Golding had been filling his car up with petrol at the same time as Cordina and noticed the boxer was there. He said he saw him having a conversation and thought that Cordina was responding as though he was talking to a friend or a fan.
Cordina added: "It was a normal thing for me. I engage with people every day and I don't leave until they're ready to leave. I wasn't aware of anything that was potentially going to happen."
Prosecution alleges disproportionate force
Cordina finished filling his 2022 grey Range Rover up with fuel and went over to O'Brien. Mr Orndal said that O'Brien kept his hands in his pockets but pushed Cordina with his shoulder. Cordina said: "As he walked towards me he's walking in the middle of the road so I pointed to come off the road. He's barged me but hit me in the chest and chin also."
In the footage shown to the court Cordina can then be seen punching O'Brien and holding him to the ground. Cordina insisted it was an act of self-defence but Mr Orndall said O'Brien had his hands in his pocket and didn't present a threat. "Joe Cordina was not protecting himself but retaliating against Jamie O'Brien," Mr Orndal said.
Asked why he punched O'Brien, Cordina said: "Just off reaction. I felt a bit threatened. I was not going over there seeking any trouble. As I got closer he barged me and just off reaction I was just defending myself. I felt threatened and I wanted to keep him away. He had his hands in his pockets, I don't know what people carry on them these days."
In one video of the incident, Cordina could be heard telling O'Brien: "Don't you ever f***ing do that to me again you stupid p***k, don't ever do that again."
The eyewitness, Mr Golding said when he went inside to pay he said his attention was drawn back to the forecourt when the cashiers were discussing how Cordina was outside and "doesn't look happy". He recalled how at first it didn't seem to be anything serious but he then described what he said looked like a barge and then saw Cordina hit O'Brien and held him on the floor.
The court heard and saw how Cordina returned to his car followed by O'Brien. Cordina asked Mr Golding to keep away from him. Cordina then went to the boot of his car to retrieve a golf club which he then put back in his car.
"He was telling me he was going to blow my house up, he was going to blow my mum's house up and shortly after that he was going to stab me," said Cordina. Mr Orndal said it was the prosecution case that O'Brien didn't present a risk to Cordina and that the force used in response was "disproportionate".
Background and consequences
O'Brien pleaded guilty to assaulting Cordina by beating in August. Thomas Crowther KC, representing Cordina, said that the video which prompted the investigation was posted on WalesOnline on March 3 and the following day O'Brien's sister contacted the police to say she believed the male in the video to be her brother Jamie O'Brien.
She then told police that when she last saw her brother before the petrol station incident he had been talking about Cordina. He said he didn't like Cordina. Mr Crowther said: "She also told the police that although he and Mr Cordina boxed together when they were younger Mr O'Brien now hated Mr Cordina. She raised the possibility that he had set out to harm Cordina. She told the police he had been talking about wanting to hurt Mr Cordina."
O'Brien was not asked about what his sister had said regarding his opinion on Cordina and PC Samuel Penman, the officer in the case, said no statement was taken from the sister because they did not think it was a reasonable line of enquiry.
Cordina said he was "quite sure" he had never met O'Brien in his life. He said that since he had heard about what his sister had said he had been told which gym O'Brien boxed at and said that he would never have boxed him. "I have never met him in my life," Cordina added. Mr Orndal said O'Brien's sister's recollection was simply a "second-hand report".
Mr Crowther said O'Brien was a man who had a vendetta against Cordina. "The idea that he set out to do harm to Mr Cordina was never investigated," Mr Crowther added.
During his closing submission, Mr Crowther said the incident took place after Cordina had received a "threat to life warning" less than a fortnight before. The court heard how at just after 1am on February 13 the police had come to Cordina's house and banged his door to issue a "threat to life warning". Cordina said it had come as a surprise and described feeling scared.
"Scared that I have got three children in the house and my wife in the house," he said. "It was a shock and I was worried if I should be out of the house there and then. We had police parked outside until the morning."
Mr Crowther added: "Anyone in the public eye is at risk of any action defining them forever."
When questioned whether he had been aware of what the consequences of a criminal conviction would be on his boxing career, Cordina said he has always been aware that if he got a criminal conviction it was almost a certainty that he would have his licence removed. At the time of the incident Cordina had been expecting to box in a "relatively lucrative" fight in the USA on July 4 but as a result of the investigation was unable to take part in it. The former super-featherweight world champion had been due to fight in a WBO lightweight title fight with Abdullah Mason in Cleveland but was forced to pull out due to the legal proceedings.
District Judge Charlotte Murphy adjourned her decision until Tuesday, October 20.
