• Ex-England striker Kerry Dixon appeared at Luton Crown Court 
• Jury head Dixon attacked a drinker at Dunstable pub in May last year
• Father-of-two Ben Scoble was allegedly knocked from a bar stool 
• He was then allegedly punched and kicked by Dixon on the ground
• It came after Scoble allegedly told Dixon to ‘f*** off fatso’ 
• Dixon pleaded not guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm 

By

Adam Shergold

Published:
07:29 GMT, 10 June 2015

|
Updated:
17:11 GMT, 10 June 2015

Kerry Dixon, the former England footballer, arrives at Luton Crown Court on Tuesday. He pleaded not guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm following an incident in a Dunstable pub last year

Former England footballer Kerry Dixon knocked a drinker off a bar stool before punching and kicking him on the ground because he told the star ‘f*** off fatso’, a court heard.

The 53-year-old, a former striker for Chelsea, was caught on CCTV hitting father-of-two Ben Scoble in the face, sending him to the ground.

Dixon then bent over his alleged victim to deliver more punches and kicks, leaving him with two loosened front teeth and a cut lip. 

The attack happened in the early hours of May 15 last year at The Nags Head pub in Dunstable, Bedfordshire, close to where Dixon lives.

It was claimed Mr Scoble had earlier approached Dixon in the pub’s lavatory and said: ‘You’re a drug dealer, have you got any drugs?’

Dixon, who also played for Reading, Southampton, Luton and Millwall in his career, pleaded not guilty to assaulting Mr Scoble occasioning him actual bodily harm at Luton Crown Court.

The court was told Dixon will be claiming he feared being attacked and hit out in a ‘pre-emptive strike’ in self-defence.

Simon Stirling, prosecuting, said Dixon later told police he continued to hit Mr Scoble, a builder, to ‘make sure he stayed down and no longer presented a threat to him.’ 

The incident happened at The Nags Head pub in Dunstable, Bedfordshire last May

The jury was told that at some point during the evening, there was a conversation in the pub’s toilet that Dixon took exception to.

It is alleged that a short time later, Mr Scoble, 38, was sitting at the bar where Dixon and his girlfriend had previously been sitting.

The CCTV footage then showed Dixon take Scoble’s pint of beer from the bar and place it on a nearby table.

Dixon then attacked Mr Scoble, removing an empty pint glass from his hand and place it on the bar before walking out.

Dixon was a striker for Chelsea during the 1980s and won eight caps for England during his career

Dixon, a former striker, played for Chelsea between 1983 and 1992

Interviewed by police five days after the incident, Dixon said Mr Scoble had asked him whether he had any drugs.

He said Scoble and his friend had been antagonistic towards him and when he asked why he was sitting in his place at the bar, the builder replied ‘f*** off fatso.’

Dixon claimed because of the empty glass in Scoble’s hand he was frightened and struck out first.

Mr Stirling told the jury: ‘In essence he says he was acting in self-defence and that is the issue you will have to concentrate on.’

Mark Wyeth QC, defending, told the court Mr Scoble had been out drinking since 6pm that evening and he had disrespected Dixon in the toilets.

The trial continues.

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