Model ‘broke nose of City worker who said he had Small Man Syndrome’
A MODEL broke the nose of a drunken City broker who mocked him for having Small Man Syndrome, a court heard.
Mark Reynolds, 31, is accused of punching insurance expert Jonathan Opie in an ugly pavement scuffle.
Reynolds claimed his alleged victim blocked his path before telling him: ‘Go home, you have Small Man Syndrome.’
An Old Bailey jury heard the two men clashed after Reynolds left a networking event in central London having drunk one vodka and pineapple juice.
Mr Opie, who works for BMS Group, had been celebrating a birthday at the Swingers Crazy Golf Bar and was walking to Bank station with his wife, brother and his brother’s girlfriend.
Giving evidence, Reynolds, who is a personal trainer as well as a fitness model, said he was the youngest Englishman to earn a black belt in karate, winning it at 12-years-old.
He described how at around 11.55pm he saw the group coming up behind him on a pavement in the City, and gestured for them to pass.
He said: ‘ The group were just being jovial and clearly quite drunk. I remember one of the women saying, “Thank you.” But Jonathan brushed past me saying, “What kind of guy gives way and then stands in your way?” I just shrugged it off, and let them pass while I tried to make a phone call.
‘I did not feel any animosity towards them, but I was walking faster than they were and caught up with them again quite quickly.
‘Then I tried to slip past them, and Jonathan, who seemed to be looking over his shoulder, then bumped into me.
‘It was pretty insignificant and I thought he was a bit drunk, so I did not react to it. But he then said, “Oh look, it’s Mr Small Man Syndrome again.”’ Reynolds told the jury Mr Opie then ‘launched’ at him and so he had to strike the broker’s jaw in self-defence.
‘I just thought it was a bit odd really because I had barely spoken to the guy,’ he said. ‘I felt intimidated, it just seemed like a drunk guy acting up.
‘So I replied, saying, “What are you on about? I’m just trying to go home.” He then made contact with my shoulder as I was going to leave and stopped me leaving.
‘Jonathan said, “What if I don’t let you leave,” and he made towards my face. I felt like he was going to attack me. At that point I was completely surrounded so I instinctively hit him in the jaw. ‘The way he insulted me, goaded me and launched for me – I felt in danger and did not want to be attacked. I never made an informed decision to harm Mr Opie, it was entirely in self-defence.’ The court heard how Mr Opie’s wife Alice, who had drunk at least six margaritas, pushed Reynolds against the wall. Prosecutor Richard Reynolds, who is not related to the defendant, insisted the attack was an assault and could not be justified by self-defence. ‘Some sort of joke was made about him not giving way, and shortly the defendant brushed past them again,’ he said.
‘Mr Opie said something along the lines of this man having Small Man Syndrome. The defendant then swung a punch at Mr Opie’s face, and broke his nose.
‘Bouncers at a local club stepped in and then the police arrived.’
Mark Opie and his girlfriend Victoria Livingstone also gave evidence, saying it was difficult to know what was said as their memories were ‘hazy’.
‘My brother was walking backwards so he would not have seen the defendant straight away,’ said Mark Opie.
‘The defendant was just trying to get past and there was some joke said about him not doing a good job at it.
‘ On the second occasion he pushed past my brother again, but I think my brother also started winding him up. I was surprised to hear my brother say, “Do you have Small Man Syndrome?’’’
Mark Reynolds, of Brentford, west London, denies assault occasioning actual bodily harm. The trial continues.
‘The group were clearly quite drunk’