Steffon Armitage
Prosecutors have requested a 5 to 6 month suspended prison term and £5000 fine against Toulon’s flank Steffon Armitage who appeared in a French court Tuesday on charges of assault.
Armitage, last season’s European player of the year and capped 5 times by England, is alleged to have struck a 31-year-old man on 13 December in a Toulon restaurant after an evening drinking with teammates following the side’s 23 / 8 victory over Leicester in the European Champions Cup.
According to witnesses, a fight broke out and Armitage, 29, and Toulon prop Xavier Chiocci, who was later released without charge by police, felled the restaurant goer before striking him, injuring his eye.
The row resulted in the alleged victim, who was also present during the hearing, being unable to work for 45 days.
In court Armitage reasserted his claim that he did not remember hitting anyone and disputed the facts.
The victim’s lawyer, however, claimed that Armitage had approached her client after the incident asking him not to file a complaint.
The court reserved judgement until 24 February.
rugby365