Former Norwich City coach jailed for metal bar assaults at Peterborough Services after argument over Covid masks

A man from Warmington has been jailed for assaulting two people with a metal bar after an argument broke out at the McDonalds at Peterborough Services in Haddon.

The argument related to the wearing of masks, which were mandatory when indoors – unless exempt – when the incident took place on June 29, 2021.

Conor Murphy (28) of Stamford Lane, Warmington, confronted a group of four, which included a 15-year-old boy – who were traveling back from watching England beat Germany during Euro 2020, taking issue with the fact that none of them were wearing masks.

CCTV footage played in court showed Murphy clearly pointing to his mask before an altercation, involving pushing, broke out between Murphy and the male victim.

Murphy, who before the incident was a youth coach at Norwich City FC, then returned to his car and sat in it for three minutes before returning to the seating area and hitting the victim on the right side of his head from behind with what was described as the leg of a tripod that Murphy had in his car.

The victim was seen in the footage falling to the floor after sustaining a large cut that required gluing.

Two females intervened and it was at this point that Murphy hit a female victim twice with the pole, bruises to her arm and wrist.

Through her victim impact statement, the woman said “the incident would stay with her for the rest of my life and I am upset that my 15-year-old son had to witness it. It will stay with him for the rest of his life."

She also described the increased anxiety that she has felt since the incident and how the pain from her injuries makes it harder to pick up and hold the children she works with in her job at a nursery.

The male victim said: “The upheaval caused by this incident will never go away. I have frequent nightmares that come in the form of flashbacks when I feel the blow and see the blood pouring into my hands.”

Since the incident, he has suffered with migraines, headaches and ringing in his ears, which forced him into unemployment briefly when he was forced to leave his job as a machinist due to the level of noise.

Murphy had previously pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent, assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH) and possession of an offensive weapon.

In summing up what she described as a “tragic case” due to Murphy’s previous positive good character, as the court was told, Recorder Arshad jailed Murphy for 34 months for GBH and 20 weeks for the ABH, with the sentences to run consecutively.

She also ordered Murphy to pay compensation of £2,000 and £1,000 to the female and male victims respectively as well as a victim surcharge of £156.