Former boxing world champion Joe Cordina has been cleared of assaulting a man he punched outside a petrol station. The incident outside a garage in Pentwyn, Cardiff, in February led to the 34-year-old being denied entry to the US for a WBO lightweight title clash.
District Judge Charlotte Murphy found Cordina not guilty of assault by beating against Jamie O'Brien, 33, following a trial at Cardiff Magistrates' Court. She said she was "satisfied" Cordina believed it was necessary to use force to defend himself. "I am further satisfied that a single, measured, controlled punch was proportionate in the circumstances," she said. "It is very easy to consider the defendant's response by considering the CCTV in slow motion, however the defendant had a split second to consider his response to the shoulder barge."
CCTV footage showed O'Brien pushing Cordina with his shoulder, before the two-time IBF super-featherweight champion punched him with sufficient force to knock him to the ground. The pair continued to "remonstrate" with one another and exchange blows. O'Brien, from Pentwyn, previously pleaded guilty to a charge of assault by beating. Police began investigating after footage of the altercation circulated online.
The judge added: "I reject any suggestion that the defendant was retaliating in any way." Cordina told the court it was "pretty much" a certainty he would risk losing his boxing licence if convicted. In a statement on Instagram, he said it had been a "difficult period" and thanked his lawyer, family and friends. "Boxing has been my life for as long as I can remember, and I'm looking forward to putting all my energy into training, preparing for my next fight and doing what I love," he said.
Source: BBC Sport · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing