Yahoo News Footballer 'punched man in cinema after Avengers: Infinity War screening'
A footballer punched a fellow cinema goer in a screening of Avengers, a court was told.
Marvin Ekpiteta, 23, was allegedly watching Avengers: Infinity War in Angel’s Vue Cinema when Steven Durieux asked him to be quiet.
The Leyton Orient defender was questioned by Mr Durieux whether he and his girlfriend were ‘going to talk through the whole film’ before being repeatedly asked to be quiet.
Ekpiteta, of Stowe Place, Haringey, north London, is then accused of lashing out and attacking Mr Durieux following the end of the movie.
Archie Mackay, prosecuting, said the 6ft4 centre-back was involved in an ‘unprovoked attack’.
"This was an unprovoked attack," said Mr Mackay. "Mr Ekpiteta was the aggressor in the attack against Steven Durieux, causing him injury to the eyelid and a dislocated shoulder."
Mr Durieux told the court that Ekpiteta fronted up to him after the movie and said: "Now what's up bro, I am in front of you, what are you going to do?"
"I didn't do anything. My mum was there, she was trying to separate us," he added. "He grabbed me, he punched me and my glasses fell."
The jury heard he was held in a headlock, before the two then fell over. "When we were on the seats that is when he started tightening his arms.
"I started screaming and that is when people around me started screaming at him 'let him go'."
"He asked something like 'are you here to watch the movie or talk'," Mr Durieux's mother Olga Durieux told the court.
"The male said something, used words like 'f**k' and 'mind your own business'.
"When I heard 'mind your business' I clapped twice on Steve's leg to say 'let it go, forget about it."
Mr Mackay asked her about the attack after the film: "What was the level of strength used?"
"I would say strong, Steve couldn't move anymore," she replied. "There were people asking him to leave, to stop this."
"That is when Steve took a step back, he was bleeding. That is the moment I was running after the defendant, to grab him and make him face up to his actions.
"Unfortunately by the time I was running after him he had escaped."
Ekpiteta denied the assault occasioning actual body harm.
The trial continues.
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