'Drunk' admits Fergie assault
Man facing prison sentence over attack
By
James Pearson Last updated: 12th September 2007
Fergie: Shaken
A 'fighting drunk' has pleaded guilty to assaulting Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson at City of London Magistrates Court.
Kevin Reynolds, 43, admitted punching the Scottish tactician in the groin and head butting a police community support officer.
The attack took place on Monday shortly after 4pm, when Sir Alex was waiting for his driver outside Euston Station in central London.
Ferguson, who was in London to attend a function, initially thought the man wanted money, before being struck, in an attack that left him doubled up in pain.
The court was told on Wednesday that Reynolds said "I'm sorry Fergie. I did not know it was you," following the attack.
Reynolds' defence counsel, Adeola Olowu, claimed her client did not think it was Sir Alex and had accidentally struck him, jokingly, while shadow boxing.
However, sitting magistrate Daphne Wickham said: "I do not think Sir Alex Ferguson saw this as a joke."
She later went on to describe Reynolds as being a 'fighting drunk'.
Reynolds, who pleaded guilty to two counts of racially-aggravated public order, one common assault and one count of actual bodily harm, has been warned he could be jailed upon sentencing at a later date.