Olympic boxer Fred Evans fined for lap-dance club assault

A medal-winning Olympic boxer admitted assaulting a customer at a Birmingham lap-dancing club after a row over reality TV show The Valleys.

Fred Evans, who won silver at London 2012, teamed up with a friend to launch an attack that left a man unconscious, Birmingham Magistrates' Court heard.

Evans, 23, of Old St Mellons, Cardiff, was fined £435 over February's assault.

Danny Butler, 20, of Gloucester Road, Corse, Gloucestershire, was jailed for 10 weeks for his part in the attack.

Both men had pleaded not guilty at a previous hearing, but admitted common assault after viewing CCTV footage prior to Thursday's court proceedings.

Sam Robinson, thought to be aged in his 20s, was hit around the head and knocked to the floor on 23 February, moments after arguing with Butler about the merits of the MTV show, which is set in Wales.

In a statement read to the court, Mr Robinson, who requires dental surgery likely to cost about £3,000, said he felt his attackers had "behaved like animals".

He had gone to the Legs 11 club from the Peterborough area and talked to two men who he discovered were from Wales, prosecutor Jim Mason said.

Mr Mason told the court: "As he spoke to the two men he noticed that one of the two seemed to get somewhat upset following a discussion about The Valleys television show.

"To prevent the matter escalating, he decided to leave the scene and went to the toilet."

Mr Robinson was struck to the back of the head, fell to the floor and was then hit to his nose and jaw, Mr Mason said.

Gavin Rofer, defending Evans, said the welterweight boxer was deeply remorseful and had consumed "quite a lot of alcohol" at the time of his "extremely limited" part in the assault.

Mr Rofer said this was "not a fight of his own making".

The solicitor claimed The Valleys did not paint the Welsh population in a particularly favourable light and said the victim's comments about the programme had "not found favour" with either defendant.

Evans, was also ordered to pay £250 of costs, a £43 victim surcharge and £500 in compensation to Mr Robinson.

The boxer had no previous convictions, the court heard.

Butler was jailed for 10 weeks for his part in the attack and also ordered to serve four weeks of a previous suspended sentence imposed for a similar offence.