Barrister Allegedly Punched After Confrontation at Cricket Club
A court has heard disturbing details of an alleged assault where a drunken reveller asked a barrister 'Are you Jewish?' before punching him in the jaw during a brawl outside a cricket club in north London.
Details of the Alleged Attack
Tony Steer, 35, is accused of attacking barrister Nathaniel Bor after the alleged victim left a birthday party at Finchley Cricket Club on December 13 last year. Steer has denied charges of assault by beating and racially or religiously aggravated assault by beating at Willesden Magistrates' Court.
During Wednesday's hearing, Mr Bor testified that he and his friend were waiting outside the venue for an Uber when they spotted Steer standing on the opposite side of the road. 'Initially, my friend Will turned to me and said: "What is that bloke doing?" or words to that effect,' Mr Bor told the court. 'I looked up and I saw an individual with a big smile on his face giving two middle fingers to my friend and I.'
The barrister added that he did not know Steer at all and responded to his friend by saying: 'He's obviously had a big night.'
The Confrontation Escalates
Mr Bor described how Steer then approached them and asked: 'Oi, are you two together?' multiple times. 'It was insinuated from my understanding were we together in a sexual way or in a romantic way, that's what I took it to mean,' he explained.
After telling Steer to cross back over the road and catch his bus, the situation took a more serious turn. 'He then didn't cross the road, he then turned to me and said to me: "Are you Jewish?" to which I responded: "What on earth has that got to do with anything?" with a slight chuckle,' Mr Bor testified.
'I was quite taken aback by that question, it's not something I've been asked before,' he added. When Steer repeated the question, Mr Bor gave the same response before the defendant allegedly smiled and then out of nowhere pulled back his fist and punched me very hard in the jaw.
Aftermath and Injuries
Mr Bor told the court: 'I don't know why he's asked me if I'm Jewish, it's not a question I've ever been asked before, incidentally I am and that probably added to my surprise because I didn't know why I had been asked.'
According to the testimony, Steer then walked down the road and jumped over a fence, prompting Mr Bor to call the police. The alleged victim said he believed Steer was 'intoxicated' and had tried to 'unzip his trousers or undo his belt' before approaching him.
The barrister described significant injuries from the alleged attack: 'My jaw was painful for weeks and my teeth were painful for a number of days after the alleged attack, and I still have a bruise on the inner side of my lip.'
The Defendant's Version of Events
Giving evidence, Steer presented a different account of the evening. He said he had been out drinking with friends and while waiting for the bus home, he saw two people across the road shouting something like 'go home.'
Steer claimed that what he assumed to be a taxi pulled up next to the pair, and he saw one of the individuals take something from the car before they pursued him on foot. 'I saw someone take something from the car and I thought it may be a weapon,' Steer testified. 'I was telling them to go away and leave me alone, they continued to harass me.'
The defendant said he ran away and was 'absolutely traumatised' by the experience. Steer, from Greenwich, London, has denied:
- Speaking to Mr Bor and his friend
- Asking if Mr Bor was Jewish
- Punching the barrister
The trial continues at Willesden Magistrates' Court as both sides present their evidence in this case that raises serious questions about religiously motivated violence and public safety.
