Theatregoer who throttled woman at show is jailed
A 75-year-old former Scottish landowner has been sentenced to two years in prison for strangling a woman at a West End theatre performance. The victim was attacked after the defendant took offense to her singing along during the show.
Why it matters
The case highlights an extreme instance of public disorder and violence in a cultural setting, drawing attention to the defendant's history of criminal behavior.
Image source, Facebook Image caption, Malcolm Potier is the former laird of the Hebridean island of Gigha
A 75-year-old man who strangled a woman after she started to sing along at a West End show has been jailed for two years.
Malcolm Potier was sitting near victim Kirsty O'Donnell in the audience at We Will Rock You at the London Coliseum in June 2023.
He said he had no recollection of being at the show, or of attacking O'Donnell, but was sentenced at Southwark Crown Court on Thursday after being found guilty of non-fatal strangulation by jurors.
Potier, a businessman and surveyor of Sarratt near Watford, was already jailed in Australia two decades ago having twice tried to arrange the murder of a former partner following a dispute over their child.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in