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| Witness tells of Bellamy's 'grab' | Witness tells of Bellamy's 'grab' |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Premiership footballer Craig Bellamy grabbed a woman's arm and pushed her following an incident with her friend in a nightclub, a trial has heard. | Premiership footballer Craig Bellamy grabbed a woman's arm and pushed her following an incident with her friend in a nightclub, a trial has heard. |
| Cardiff magistrates heard how the Wales and Liverpool striker grabbed Holly Smith, 20, after she challenged him for calling her friend Sophie Palmer "fat". | Cardiff magistrates heard how the Wales and Liverpool striker grabbed Holly Smith, 20, after she challenged him for calling her friend Sophie Palmer "fat". |
| She said moments later she saw him grab Ms Palmer by the throat in a corridor of Number 10 nightclub in the city. | She said moments later she saw him grab Ms Palmer by the throat in a corridor of Number 10 nightclub in the city. |
| Mr Bellamy, 27, denies two counts of common assault. | Mr Bellamy, 27, denies two counts of common assault. |
| The second day of the trial was told how the incident happened after Mr Bellamy and Ms Palmer, 20, bumped into one another in a narrow corridor leading to the VIP bar in the club on 5 February 2006. | The second day of the trial was told how the incident happened after Mr Bellamy and Ms Palmer, 20, bumped into one another in a narrow corridor leading to the VIP bar in the club on 5 February 2006. |
| I turned around and he had her with his hands around her throat Holly Smith | I turned around and he had her with his hands around her throat Holly Smith |
| Ms Smith, from Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, told the court that Mr Bellamy pushed past her friend, not in an aggressive manner, but there was a collision between the two. | |
| She said: "Sophie said 'excuse me, don't push past me' or something along those lines. | She said: "Sophie said 'excuse me, don't push past me' or something along those lines. |
| "The male became slightly more aggressive and called her a fat slag and asked who she thought she was. He said 'you shouldn't be pushing past me'". | "The male became slightly more aggressive and called her a fat slag and asked who she thought she was. He said 'you shouldn't be pushing past me'". |
| The No 10 nightclub is a popular haunt among Welsh celebrities | The No 10 nightclub is a popular haunt among Welsh celebrities |
| She said Ms Palmer replied "whatever" before walking away but that Mr Bellamy swore at her. | She said Ms Palmer replied "whatever" before walking away but that Mr Bellamy swore at her. |
| "The male continued to walk past me and I said 'You shouldn't say things like that, it's not very nice'". | "The male continued to walk past me and I said 'You shouldn't say things like that, it's not very nice'". |
| Ms Smith said it was at that point that Mr Bellamy became aggressive towards her. | Ms Smith said it was at that point that Mr Bellamy became aggressive towards her. |
| "He grabbed my arm pushing me against the wall and my body followed," she recalled. | "He grabbed my arm pushing me against the wall and my body followed," she recalled. |
| Ms Smith said she then pushed Mr Bellamy away from her and moments later heard her friend make a noise. | Ms Smith said she then pushed Mr Bellamy away from her and moments later heard her friend make a noise. |
| "I turned around and he had her with his hands around her throat." | "I turned around and he had her with his hands around her throat." |
| She recalled how another friend Katherine Williams tried to separate the pair as she went for help. | She recalled how another friend Katherine Williams tried to separate the pair as she went for help. |
| When she returned she said Ms Palmer had gone and the next time she saw her was at the nightclub entrance where she heard Mr Bellamy's friend Franklin Lynch telling door staff to eject her. | When she returned she said Ms Palmer had gone and the next time she saw her was at the nightclub entrance where she heard Mr Bellamy's friend Franklin Lynch telling door staff to eject her. |
| Mr Bellamy's lawyer John Charles Rees QC asked Ms Smith: "By speaking to him you were likely to provoke another outburst by him weren't you?" | Mr Bellamy's lawyer John Charles Rees QC asked Ms Smith: "By speaking to him you were likely to provoke another outburst by him weren't you?" |
| Miss Smith replied: "Yes." | Miss Smith replied: "Yes." |
| Throat grab | Throat grab |
| On Thursday, the court heard Ms Palmer, 20, describe how she bumped into Mr Bellamy as she walked along a corridor. | On Thursday, the court heard Ms Palmer, 20, describe how she bumped into Mr Bellamy as she walked along a corridor. |
| She said Mr Bellamy swore at her, saying she was too fat to get around and called her a "slag". | She said Mr Bellamy swore at her, saying she was too fat to get around and called her a "slag". |
| Soon after, Ms Palmer said, she turned around to see her friend Holly Smith "having words" with Mr Bellamy before he began to follow her. | Soon after, Ms Palmer said, she turned around to see her friend Holly Smith "having words" with Mr Bellamy before he began to follow her. |
| "He grabbed me with both hands around the neck and held me up against the wall and he was squeezing," she said. | "He grabbed me with both hands around the neck and held me up against the wall and he was squeezing," she said. |
| Following the incident, she told the court how she went for help from the doormen before she was grabbed by Mr Bellamy's friend and sometime minder Franklin Lynch, who forced her to the nightclub door where he held her by the neck and told door staff to remove her. | Following the incident, she told the court how she went for help from the doormen before she was grabbed by Mr Bellamy's friend and sometime minder Franklin Lynch, who forced her to the nightclub door where he held her by the neck and told door staff to remove her. |
| Mr Lynch denies a charge of common assault. | Mr Lynch denies a charge of common assault. |
| Ms Palmer said she suffered bruising to her arms and neck and scarring on her chest from recent surgery started to bleed. | Ms Palmer said she suffered bruising to her arms and neck and scarring on her chest from recent surgery started to bleed. |
| During cross examination by defence counsel John Charles Rees QC, Ms Palmer denied knowing who Mr Bellamy was or being an "attention seeker". | During cross examination by defence counsel John Charles Rees QC, Ms Palmer denied knowing who Mr Bellamy was or being an "attention seeker". |
| The trial continues. | The trial continues. |