I did not attack my friend with a bottle, Wem man tells jury

Aaron Chelmick claimed he was ‘rugby tackled’ by victim Ben Goulding when they clashed in the street in Wem last summer.

Giving evidence at his trial at Shrewsbury Crown Court yesterday, Chelmick also denied throwing bottles at Mr Goulding or holding him in a headlock.

The court has heard that Mr Goulding suffered serious facial injuries to his cheek just below an eye, and to his chin, which needed 18 stitches.

Chelmick, of High Street, Wem, denies a charge of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm on July 6 last year.

The court has heard Chelmick had been with a group of friends on and off during the day – including the alleged victim – near the dental surgery in Noble Street at the rear of Wem Town Hall.

At court yesterday Chelmick admitted he had been drinking and had also taken some diazepam. He said he had a bag containing bottles of beer with him and assumed he was drinking at the time and had a bottle in his hand when he saw Mr Goulding and his girlfriend and another man involved in some sort of confrontation over a spilled drink.

The case so far:

• Wem bottle attack case jury told of victim's injuries

• Victim needed 18 stitches to his face after Wem bottle attack, court told

• Man injured in Wem bottle attack, court told

“Ben got on his cycle and started riding off. I shouted for him to come back and said we were all friends and told him to calm down. He swore at me and got off his bike and slammed it down on the ground.

“I was walking towards him when he ran at me. He was angry,” he told the jury. “He picked me up like in a rugby tackle and lifted up me up and slammed me to the ground.

Chelmick said the victim’s arms were around his hips and his head and shoulder went into him and he struck his back and head as he hit the floor.

“I was holding on to him and him and he came down as well. His face and belly hit the ground. There was a scuffle for a few seconds as we got up. I was a bit dazed. There was a bit of shouting. He had blood on his face. I panicked and ran off and went home,” he told the jury.

He said the bottle was not in his hand after got up and claimed it he must have let go of it when the pair fell to the ground.

Chelmick denied hitting Mr Goulding with a bottle, throwing a bottle or holding him in a headlock and crushing the bottle against his face.

Earlier Mr Goulding had told the jury he had not instigated the confrontation with Chelmick and said that he had not been drinking alcohol or taken any illegal drugs.

He said there had been an argument among his friends because someone had spilled a fizzy drink over his girlfriend but it had nothing to do with the subsequent clash with Chelmick.

The trial continues.