Bloke at rock gig ‘beaten up because glare from his bald head ruined view of the band’

A Monster Truck fan was given a severe beating after a row with a fellow gig-goer about the glare from his bald head, a court has been told.

Andrew Ridley, 56, of Roundlea Road, Northfield, Birmingham, has denied causing grievous bodily harm with intent and an alternative charge of inflicting grievous bodily harm in the pre-lockdown incident.

Prosecutor Philip Beardwell said the alleged victim had gone to the Monster Truck show with his brother at the the city’s O2 in April 2019, reports Birmingham Live.

The defendant was standing near them at the gig, Mr Beardwell told Birmingham Crown Court.

“It seems that they were standing watching and there was a disagreement about who could see what,” Mr Beardwell said.

“It was over lights shining off heads, something rather trivial you may think.” It’s claimed that the argument became physical, with the victim pushing the defendant.”

Ridley responded by punching him, which knocked the victim to the ground and left him unconscious, the prosecutor said.

“Ridley got on top of him and continued to punch him,” Mr Beardwell added.

As a result of the attack, the man was taken to hospital, where he stayed for three days.

He suffered a bleed to the brain, swelling across the left side of his forehead, cuts behind both eyes, a chipped tooth and swelling to his jaw.

When quizzed, Ridley said: “He hit me first so I hit him back.”

Giving evidence, the alleged victim said: “It was standing. The only thing I can remember is having a conversation with a man behind. He either tapped me on the shoulder or nudged me.

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“He said that he could not see the band because of the glare off my bald head. It was offensive to me, a perfect stranger [saying] something like that.”

He said the man made the comment two or three times, and the next thing he remembered was waking up in hospital.

Under cross-examination, he said he could not remember pushing the man, although someone had later told him he’d done so, but he said he’d taken the comment as an “insult”.

The victim’s brother said he’d seen his brother push the man, who had struggled to remain on his feet. But he said the man had then punched his brother to the head with full force, knocking him straight to the ground.

The case continues.