Blackwood bodybuilder threatened to smash man’s head to a pulp (From South Wales Argus)

Blackwood bodybuilder threatened to smash man’s head to a pulp

11:47am Thursday 8th November 2012 in News

AN 18-stone bodybuilder threatened to smash the head of a fellow nightclub doorman “to a pulp” after their friendship turned sour, a court heard.

After drinking six large Bacardis , one-time Mr Wales entrant Julian Viner, who owns the Platinum Gym 2, Blaina, phoned fellow bodybuilder Joe Davies, 25, leaving a voicemail message littered with swear words.

It was played at Caerphilly Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, with Viner, 40, of The Bryn, Blackwood, saying: “When it’s over, watch your back, I’m going to smash your head to a pulp, you muppet.

“You’re having it when I catch hold of you.”

The court heard the two worked on doors together and trained at Viner’s gym. But they fell out after Viner was charged with assaulting Mr Davies’ girlfriend Tiffany Edwards, 20, and her mother Claire Edwards, 51, who had a ten-month affair with the defendant, who was her personal trainer.

Viner assaulted the women in June. As he awaited trial he was initially charged with a further offence of witness intimidation.

He pleaded guilty to sending a voicemail and texts that were grossly offensive and menacing in character on September 7, with prosecutor Ian Kolvin asking the original charge be dismissed.

Defence solicitor Geraint Richards said Mr Davies was only an incidental witness in the original trial and the reason Viner made the call was because he had “abused and threatened”

his partner of 12 years, Lynne Matthews, after seeing her in the street.

He said after Viner “reacted in a wholly unacceptable way”, they exchanged messages, with Mr Davies texting “don’t drop the soap in the showers”– a reference to prison life.

Mr Richards added: “Joe Davies is a doorman and cage fighter so knows self-defence.

He’s no shrinking violet and can look after himself.”

Chairman of the bench Geoffrey Smith ordered Viner to pay a £200 fine, £85 costs and £15 victim surcharge.

He placed a restraining order, stopping him approaching Mr Davies, but ordered no compensation, saying “he gave as good as he got”.

Threatened former friend says ‘I’m no cage fighter’

TWENTY-FIVE-YEAR-OLD Mr Davies disagreed with the view that he gave as good as he got.

“He sent about six messages saying things like I am a s*** doorman and my girlfriend is cheating. I sent him one back saying ‘don’t drop the soap’.”

He trained with bodybuilder Viner when they were friends, but claimed the defence made him out to be something he isn’t.

“I am not a cage fighter. The gym that I go to does cage fighting but I don’t. I feel like I was misrepresented today,”

he said.

Defendant is working at an owl sanctuary

VINER is currently completing 120 hours unpaid work at an owl sanctuary, after being found guilty of assaults outside Asda in Blackwood.

Caerphilly Magistrates’ heard in September how Viner grabbed Claire and Tiffany Edwards by their throats, pulled their hair and swung them round “like a child with a doll”, one witness said.

Tiffany Williams told the court Viner drove towards their car, nearly causing them to crash.

She said, he grabbed both the women by throat, banging their heads together, calling “if you touch my missus again I’m going to kill you”.

As well as the unpaid work, he was ordered to pay each of his victims £100 and £500 towards prosecution costs.