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Arthur Collins trial: TOWIE star's ex-boyfriend convicted of assault before acid attack case, court told

Accused: Arthur Collins with ex-girlfriend Ferne McCann
Accused: Arthur Collins with ex-girlfriend Ferne McCann

The ex-boyfriend of TOWIE star Ferne McCann was convicted for assault at a nightclub two years before he threw acid on a crowded dancefloor of an east London club, a court heard.

Arthur Collins, 25, father of the reality TV star’s unborn child, was convicted of actual bodily harm in December 2015 after punching a man in the face, Wood Green Crown Court was told.

Collins and co-accused Andre Phoenix, 21, were charged over the subsequent acid attack after revellers were injured when sprayed with a corrosive substance at the Mangle E8 nightclub in Dalston on April 17 this year.

Two people were partially blinded and others were disfigured in the attack after a brawl erupted on the club dance floor.

The jury heard that Collins and Phoenix both repeatedly said "no comment" to questions throughout their police interviews regarding the incident.

Arthur Collins: The ex-boyfriend of TOWIE star Ferne McCann is on trial following the attack in east London (Metropolitan Police)
Arthur Collins: The ex-boyfriend of TOWIE star Ferne McCann is on trial following the attack in east London (Metropolitan Police)

Luke Ponte, prosecuting, said Collins indicated his earlier conviction was a "pre-emptive strike" against another man when he was questioned by officers over the assault in 2015.

He said: "Mr Collins was convicted of assault occasioning actual bodily harm on December 28 2015. Mr Collins punched the victim in the face at a nightclub."

Mr Ponte said Collins also gave a no-comment interview to police over this incident.

But he added: "In a further interview, after Mr Collins had been identified, Mr Collins gave a prepared statement indicating it was a pre-emptive strike as the male was being aggressive."

CCTV footage of the alleged acid attack this spring showed victims clutching their faces and running off the dance floor after Collins allegedly doused revellers with an unidentified substance later found to have contained a liquid with a rating of pH1 - indicating a strong acid.

Earlier in the trial, the court heard that Collins does not deny throwing the liquid but claims not to have known it was acid.

The court also heard that Collins sent a text message to his sister, Chenade Rowe, in the days before the attack that said: "Tell Mum to mind the hand wash in my car - acid."

Collins, of Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, denies five counts of grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent, and 11 counts of actual bodily harm against 16 people.

Phoenix, of Clyde Road, Tottenham, denies the same offences.

The trial continues.