Pensioner ‘strangled woman at Queen musical’

A pensioner strangled a woman as she enjoyed the We Will Rock You musical at the London Coliseum, a court heard.

Kirsty O’Donnell said she felt ‘shock, terror, just pure disbelief’ when Malcolm Potier, 74, allegedly put his hands around her neck on 7 June 2023.

They had been attending the official press night of the hit musical We Will Rock You, which featured Queen guitarist Brian May, who made a live appearance on stage.

Ms O’Donnell told jurors at Southwark Crown Court: ‘At the time of the assault he was sat down, people were singing, people were enjoying the show.’

She said the night turned sour when a man she later identified as Potier put his hands on her neck and applied ‘intense pressure’ for up to four seconds.

She added: ‘It did ease, and I was able to say, “Can you please let go?”

‘I felt shock, terror, just pure disbelief.

‘What did I do afterwards? Nothing. I just said to my friend, “What just happened?”

‘I was utterly shocked… I think I didn’t want to walk past him after the incident and I just wanted it to go away.’

She stayed there for another 20 minutes until the end of the show.

Ms O’Donnell later identified Potier after she was given his companion’s business card by someone in the audience, who told her what happened was ‘unacceptable’ and urged her to report it to the police.

The card identified his companion as theatre critic Lizzie Loveridge, and from there Ms O’Donnell said she searched her Facebook profile until Potier showed up.

She told jurors she was ‘100 per cent sure’ once she found Potier’s pictures online, adding: ‘That is him, I could tell by the features on the photograph.

‘I don’t forget faces, I instantly recognised him.’

Potier appeared in the dock today (Tues) wearing a navy suit over a blue shirt and tie as O’Donnell’s gave evidence.

Asked by Potier’s defence barrister Sam Clarke what the lighting conditions were like, Ms O’Donnell said: ‘We were three or four rows away from the stage, we had the stage lights so I could see people.’

She said she could not tell if strobe lights or smoke machines were used but told jurors: ‘I do know it was well-lit enough to see a lot of people around me.’

Ms O’Donnell later informed theatre staff and filed a police report at Charing Cross Police Station, making six additional statements since then – the most recent one from this morning.

Asked why she would want to ‘revise’ her account, she said: ‘I wouldn’t say I revised the statement… I know this is the man in question.’

She said most of the additional statements were made on request of the police seeking clarification but conceded she had initially thought the man was in his ‘late 50s’.

Potier, from the picturesque village of Sarratt in Hertfordshire, denies one count of assault by beating.

The trial continues.
ENDS