'Stop this madness', they pleaded as he rained down punches on an innocent man - screaming 'I'll f*****g murder you'
manchestereveningnews.co.ukA belligerent thug launched a vicious attack on a fellow-train passenger after being told to keep it down. Michael Ovenden, 43, later claimed he 'hadn't been in a fight since primary school'.
He screamed at respected barrister Brian Dean: "I will smash your head through the window... I will f*****g murder you." Ovenden left Mr Dean with a long-term knee injury - and a train manager terrified.
He was told he was 'very lucky' as he narrowly escaped being sent down. "This was a sustained and nasty attack on an innocent member of the public and someone doing their job," chair of the bench Walter Barrett told Ovenden at Stockport Magistrates' Court. READ MORE: Join the FREE Manchester Evening News WhatsApp community "Really, this was an awful attack," he added. "This was disgraceful behaviour." The court earlier heard, Ovenden, from Staffordshire, was on the 10.07pm train from Manchester Birmingham - following a day working and drinks - when Mr Dean asked him to keep his voice down.
Ovenden appeared to have been arguing on the phone. Punches 'rained down' on the barrister, Hannah Nicholls, prosecuting, said.
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