Bugzy Malone 'punched two strangers in retribution'

Bugzy Malone is on trial at Manchester Crown Court

Rapper Bugzy Malone punched two strangers and broke their jaws after he wrongly believed they intruded and attacked his home, a court has heard.

The 30-year-old, appearing in court under his real name Aaron Davies, acted in "retribution", jurors were told.

The incident happened on 9 September 2018 near the World Black Pudding Throwing Championships in Ramsbottom, near Bury.

Mr Davies denies two counts of inflicting grievous bodily harm.

Manchester Crown Court heard a teenage girl and her friends, who were all fans of the grime artist, decided to visit Mr Davies' home.

A teenage boy peered over the electric gates and shouted his name before running off.

Prosecutor Maria Brannan said a car sped past them and was driven at them as they fled.

'Consumed with rage'

The incident "terrified" the teenage girl and she rang her parents who were at the pudding throwing championships, the court heard.

Miss Brannan said the boy rang his father, who came to the park believing his son had been threatened and was "not going to let the matter go".

The court heard the boy's father became "more erratic and aggressive" as they reached the entrance gates to Mr Davies' home and started throwing stones before he squeezed through into the courtyard.

The girl's father then decided to follow him to try to persuade him to leave, Miss Brannan said.

Mr Davies was out in his car but was alerted by his family, who also called the police.

The girl's family group decided to leave and were walking on Nuttall Hall Road when a neighbour of Mr Davies approached them and grabbed the girl's father to ask him what he had been doing.

The grime artist felt he was about to be attacked, the court heard

Jurors heard that shortly after Mr Davies pulled up in his black Mercedes car.

Miss Brannan said the rapper walked directly to the family friend and punched him hard to the jaw, sending him to the ground.

She said he "immediately" turned to the girl's father and punched him too with another single blow to the jaw.

Mr Davies then kicked the family friend in the back of the head as he walked past, the court heard.

He later said he received a call from his neighbour telling him his house was "being done over" and he should come home quickly.

Mr Davies said he believed his neighbour was involved in a confrontation with the "burglars".

Miss Brannan told jurors the rapper said one of the men "had become aggressive towards him and had used racially abusive language".

"It is the prosecution's case that this was nothing to do with self-defence and that the evidence will show the defendant's actions that day were retribution," she added.

"This was summary justice dispensed by the defendant at a time when he was consumed with rage. He hit and kicked those men as hard as he could because he believed - wrongly - that he needed to teach them a lesson."

The trial continues.

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