Blackwood bodybuilder ‘shook woman like a doll’ in supermarket attack

Julian Viner, 39, of Maple Close, Blackwood, grabbed Claire and Tiffany Edwards by the throat, pulled their hair and swung one of them round like a “child with a doll” as he confronted them on their way out of Asda in Blackwood.

One-time Mr Wales entrant Viner, who is about twice the weight of the women, embarked on a ten-month relationship with Claire Edwards, 51, after they met in July 2010.

At the time Viner, who gave Mrs Edwards personal training, was still with his partner of 12 years, Lynne Matthews.

Cwmbran Magistrates Court heard she found out about the affair and the three women crossed paths in Asda on June 16.

As the two women were driving away, Viner, who runs Platinum Gym 2 in Blaina, swerved into their path, nearly causing them to crash.

Twenty-year-old Tiffany said she got out of her car and saw it was Viner, who grabbed her by the throat and said “If you touch my missus again I’m going to kill you.”

Claire Edwards said he did the same to her, before he pulled their hair and banged their heads together as they pleaded with him.

“I was trying to stop him but we didn’t stand a chance, we couldn’t defend ourselves,”

Claire Edwards said.

Viner claimed he went to the store because the women were giving his partner “grief” and he acted in self-defence because they attacked him.

Witness Sadie Williams said Viner was shaking the younger woman “very violently”, “like a child with a doll”.

“I was terrified and it wasn’t happening to me,” she said.

Viner was found guilty of assault by magistrates, who ordered him to pay £100 to each of his victims.

He was given a 12-month community order and a restraining order preventing him from contacting the two women and will have to carry out 120 hours of unpaid work and pay £500 towards prosecution costs.

After the case, Claire Edwards said: “It has been a horrendous time.

“I feel like we have been in a bubble and hope we can now move on with our lives.”