Footballer denies running over teenage fans of rival team in BMW because they called him 'fatty'

Player accused of knocking down group of 11 boys like ‘skittles at a bowling alley’

Incident allegedly happened at end of football match (AFP/Getty Images)

A football player has denied mowing down 11 teenage supporters of a rival team with his car after they taunted him and called him “fatty”.

Lee Taylor, 36, is accused of using his BMW as a “weapon” and deliberately hitting a group of boys after his side lost 5-0 in a local football match in Bridgend, south Wales.

The footballer claimed he was trying to escape the group of teenagers when he jumped in his car, and did not hear their screams after knocking them down because his car stereo was playing dance music.

Mr Taylor said he had tried to break up a confrontation between one of his Margam Football Club teammates and around 15 to 20 teenage supporters of rivals Cornelly United outside the changing rooms when the group switched their attention to him.

The defendant told Newport Crown Court: “I said, “Look lads, if there’s going to be a fight, it’s one-on-one”. The mood was intense. The boys said to me, “We’ll batter you. F*** off, fatty”.”

Mr Taylor said some members of the group followed him to his car, before one jumped on his bonnet and began punching his windscreen as he tried to leave the car park.

Taylor said: “I felt scared that the boys were going to get me. I can’t really remember what happened after that.”

The court had previously heard Mr Taylor revved his engine moments before driving straight at the boys and knocking them down like “skittles at a bowling alley”.

Prosecutor Christopher Rees said some of them were thrown up into the air, while one managed to hold on to Taylor’s bonnet. Mr Rees said it was only by “sheer good fortune” no-one suffered injuries worse than cuts and ​bruises.

Cornelly United football ground in Bridgend (Google Maps)

Mr Rees asked Mr Taylor: “Are you saying that when you got back home, you had no idea you had collided with 11 of those young boys who were outside the changing rooms?”

He answered: “Not until the police arrested me.”

The prosecutor also asked the footballer if he had heard the boys’ “screams” after driving into them, to which Mr Taylor replied: “No. I had my radio on loud. I was listening to dance music.”

Mr Rees added: “It was your ego. Your sense of what a big man you are being cheeked by a load of teenagers that caused you to do this.”

Newport Crown Court (PA Archive/PA Images)

The court previously heard a witness describe the BMW ploughing into the boys “like a video game”, before it is alleged Mr Taylor got out of his vehicle and began to assault young men who had confronted him.

Mobile phone footage of the alleged assault played to the court allegedly showed Mr Taylor swinging punches at the teenagers before getting in his car and driving away.

The defendant, from Port Talbot, denies dangerous driving, 11 counts of attempting to cause grievous bodily harm with intent, and 11 alternative counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

The match at Cornelly United’s ground finished 5-0 to the home side in April last year.

The trial continues.

Additional reporting by Press Association