THE former world boxing champion, Mr Nigel Benn, yesterday dismissed as "outrageous" allegations he had behaved like a maniac and assaulted a former friend when he was in a London nightclub celebrating the birth of his twins.
Mr Benn (33), told Middlesex Guildhall crown court, London, he had no knowledge of the incident at a west London nightclub in which the prosecution alleges he attacked a ticket agency boss, Mr Ray Sullivan, with an ashtray leaving him scarred for life and needing 105 stitches in his nose.
The former world supermiddleweight champion, who lost his title to the Dublin boxer, Steve Collins, denied wounding Mr Sullivan with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. He also pleaded not guilty to a lesser charge of unlawful wounding.
Mr Benn said he bad gone to a nightclub in Mayfair on September 28th last year with a friend to celebrate the birth that afternoon of his twins. He had seen Mr Sullivan there but, as on previous occasions, they had not exchanged a word because they had fallen out three years earlier over Mr Sullivan's involvement in drugs.
About 20 minutes alter he arrived, a scuffle broke out and he and his friend decided to leave, A club doorman had ushered them out.
Mr Paul Dodgson, prosecuting, accused him of lying. Mr Benn said: "I am sad to be here and I am glad to be here. Glad to defend my name, to stand up here and tell the people, you lot, how it really is, people slandering my good name."
Mr Dodgson said: "The emotional state you were in, something snapped that night." Mr Benn replied: "Nothing snapped. I had no reason to snap. I was on one of the happiest days of my life and I have already seen Ray all over the place and you say all of a sudden on the day my babies are born I turned into a maniac."
Mr Benn said he and Mr Richardson had driven to another club, where they had stayed for two hours until a bouncer told them that somebody had smashed into Mr Benn's Mercedes. He had immediately called the police, something about which he had no qualms doing as he had done nothing wrong and was not aware he was wanted for any offence.
He dismissed evidence from the policewoman who attended the scene that his right hand had been bandaged and bleeding as a "total lie". There had been nothing wrong with his hand and he had left the following week as planned for Tenerife to prepare for his unsuccessful title defence last November against Steve Collins.
The case continues.