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Rugby thug filmed punching woman outside Belfast nightclub gets away with slap on wrist

Teenager given community resolution notice over attack

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Watch: Rugby thug filmed decking woman outside nightclub in Belfast

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A teenager who punched a woman to the ground outside a nightclub has got away with a slap on the wrist.

Rugby player and student Leon Thornton, from Carrickfergus, was arrested and bailed after footage of the assault was shared on social media last year.

The PSNI said that following an investigation, both parties in the video were handed community resolution notices.

The notices are a means of dealing with low-level offending and an alternative to criminal prosecution.

He was identified on social media as a youth player with both Ulster Rugby and Malone Rugby Club.

A spokesman for Ulster Rugby player said none of their players were in the video

However, Thornton is understood to have been involved with the club at youth level up until last summer.

Ulster Rugby said at the time: “We are aware of a video posted on social media which is part of an active PSNI investigation.

“The club can confirm that no Ulster Rugby players were involved in this incident.”

Malone Rugby club did not respond to request for comment.

In the clip, Thornton shouts at, threatens and eventually batters the woman to the floor, twice punching her in the face.

The first blow smashes her head into a metal grating, with the second sending her crashing to the ground, before an onlooker intervenes.

Prior to the attacks, the woman was seen clumsily lunging at him after he goaded her.

During the video, Thornton repeatedly shouts at the woman while squaring up to her and accusing her of spitting on him, before she pushes him away and lunges at him.

He can be heard saying: “Someone get that on f***ing video.

“I don’t give a f***, you f***ing tramp. Go, spit on me again, you f***ing tramp, go”.

He then smashes her head into the grating with his first punch.

After onlookers express shock at his behaviour, he says: “I don’t give a f***, mate. F***ing tramp, don’t f***ing punch me out of nowhere.”

A second clip shows the two tussling at the junction of Patterson’s Place and Donegall Square East, near the entrance to Thompson’s Garage.

Thornton can again be heard calling the woman a “f***ing tramp”, before punching her so hard to the face she falls and hits her head on the pavement.

At this point, a member of the public tries to intervene.

Following the incident, sources told this newspaper Thornton feared for his safety in Carrickfergus.

The PSNI said the matter had now been dealt with.

A spokesman added: “Police investigating a report of an assault in the Patterson’s Place area of Belfast City Centre on Saturday, June 24, have issued two community resolution notices.

“A 33-year-old woman has been issued with a community resolution notice for disorderly behaviour.

“Meanwhile, a 19-year-old man has been issued with a community resolution notice for common assault.”