Olympic cyclist beat lover after brain injury ‘turned him into a violent drunk’
A FORMER Olympic cyclist attacked his girlfriend in a rage caused by a brain injury he suffered a decade earlier, a court has heard.
Jonathan Bellis, 30, who represented Team GB in 2008, admitted hitting his ‘distraught’ partner at home after the couple had been out for drinks.
The court was told he warned his victim he was ‘going to explode’ before leaving her with injuries to her lip, arm and ear and pain ‘all over her face and head’. Bellis, who competed in the Beijing road race event, has been given a restraining order and told to make no contact with his now exgirlfriend. He told Cheltenham magistrates he could not remember carrying out the attack earlier this month.
The court heard Bellis suffered a brain injury in 2009 that triggered aggression when he drank alcohol. He was left in a coma for a month following a scooter accident in Italy in which his skull was shattered and his brain embedded with bones. Nicky Shaw, defending, said: ‘ The brain injury and alcohol is what’s caused this. It isn’t a negative attitude towards women or relationships. It does appear this is very much linked to a brain injury.’
Bellis, who retired from professional cycling in 2015, admitted assault and was fined £635 by district judge Bopa Jai. She also ordered him to pay £100 compensation to his ex-partner, and imposed a fiveyear restraining order. Bellis, of Cheltenham, has reportedly been suspended as sporting director of women’s cycling team Drops following his conviction.
Prosecuting, Peter Ashby said the assault took place after the couple returned to their flat. He said the victim saw Bellis’s mood darkening and asked him not to drink any more alcohol.
Fearing for her safety, she rang 999 before Bellis took the phone, blocked her exit from the flat and then assaulted her. Mr Ashby said: ‘He hit her two or three times. There was a small cut to her upper lip and pain all over her face and head.’
Police attended and Bellis was arrested. The court heard he had drunk two- and- ahalf pints of ale and two-anda-half glasses of wine.
Mr Ashby said: ‘He didn’t remember hitting her face but agreed he must have done.’
Mrs Rai said she considered imposing a community order but could not as Bellis would be living in the Isle of Man, outside of UK jurisdiction.
Bellis declined to comment as he left court on Tuesday.