HENLEY Hawks captain Matt Payne has quit after being found guilty of unlawfully wounding a bouncer.
He bit a chunk out of David Jones’s left ear in a brawl outside the White Lotus Sports bar in Henley in December 2008.
Payne, 29, had denied the charge but was convicted by a jury at Oxford Crown Court last Friday. The jury of four women and eight men took just over an hour to reach their verdict as well as finding the player not guilty of wounding with intent.
Payne, who lives in Sonning Common, was released on unconditional bail and will be sentenced on March 23 by Mr Recorder Linford.
He announced his resignation as captain in a statement issued through Henley Rugby Club this week.
He said: “Representing the Hawks as captain of a club that I’ve been a member of for over 20 years is a responsibility that I take very seriously and an honour I do not give up lightly.
“However, I want to put the interests of the club first and therefore I believe this is the right thing to do.
“I want to take this opportunity to apologise to everyone at the club for any damage that has been done to the reputation of HRFC and want to assure everyone that I will do everything I can on and off the field to ensure our success in the future.”
Club chairman Phil Woodall said the decision was a hard one for Payne to take at a difficult time.
“However, we believe he has made the right decision which shows respect for both the club and the responsibilities that come with captaincy and leadership of the Hawks,” he said.
“He has been with the club since he was a boy and, like any family, we will be supportive of him as he goes through this tough period.
“We hope that focussing positive energy into his playing duties over the coming weeks and months will help him through a very difficult time.”
The court heard the attack happened in the early hours of December 21 after Payne was told he was too drunk to come into the Hart Street bar.
Richard Sharpe, prosecuting, said Payne bit the victim’s ear for “no good reason”, adding: “Even if you were to be attacked, in what world would it be reasonable to respond by biting that person’s ear off?”
Pictures of the injury to 25-year-old Mr Jones were shown to the jury, who were told that blood spattered on Payne’s face matched that of his victim.
Mr Jones a law student at the University of Reading, said he went to the entrance of the bar when he received a distress call from colleague Damien Mielczarek.
He said Payne had been denied entry because he was too drunk and he was allegedly calling for the bouncers to come to the door so he could “knock them all out”.
When the bouncers tried to block his way into the club, Payne grabbed him by the shirt and throat before biting his ear. The two of them spilled out onto the road before being separated.
Mr Mielczarek said he tried to pull the pair apart and all three of them ended up on the floor.
In a statement to police, Payne said he was pinned to the ground face down by the bouncers and was scared.
“All I could do was bite him,” he said. “I could not even see his face. I had no intention to bite him or his ear or to even draw blood. It was just a reflex action to get free.” Payne claimed that he had felt a “pointed object or body part” in his back but Mr Sharpe responded: “That’s an attempt to justify an extraordinary level of violence.” The prosecutor said the player had been like a “snapping turtle”.
Police found the chunk of Mr Jones’s ear but it could not be reattached.
The bouncer said he had failed part of his law degree due to his recovery and was retaking a year.
John Reilly, defending, argued that Payne was acting in self-defence.
“This was a reflex action with the only part of the body he was able to move — the head,” he said. “What was the defendant supposed to do — lie there and just take it? The defendant reacted.”
In a statement attesting to Payne’s good character, property developer and rugby club stalwart Alan Pontin said: “He has been a thoughtful and helpful person who is a great contributor to Henley life. Matt is an honest, decent man possessing great integrity.”
Club president Noel Armstead said Payne was “loyal, reliable and a natural leader”.
While the jury was considering its verdict, Payne had seemed in good spirits. Supported by family and friends, he looked relieved as the not guilty verdict was delivered but his face fell when the guilty verdict on the second charge followed.
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Published on 08 March 2010
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