A hedge fund lawyer who punched a fashion designer in a row over seats at the Royal Opera House has been fined £900 and ordered to compensate the victim.
Oxford-educated Matthew Feargrieve, 43, of Barnes, lashed out at Ulrich Engler in the front row as the music started for the third act of Wagner’s Ring Cycle.
Mr Engler, who has styled royals including the Countess of Wessex, had climbed forward a row to take an empty seat, to the annoyance of Feargrieve’s partner, Catherine Chandler.
In the ensuing verbal dispute, Feargrieve reached across and struck Mr Engler at least once on the left shoulder.
Sentencing at Westminster magistrates’ court today, District Judge John Zani said Feargrieve had shown “little remorse” and still maintained that he had acted in self-defence.
“You really shouldn’t have behaved in the way that you did, in my view you lost your temper,” he said.
“Whatever was happening immediately next to you between Ms Chandler and Mr Engler, you decided you weren’t going to sit idly by.
“You behaved in a way I have found you did, assaulting him in circumstances that you should not have.”
Feargrieve and Ms Chandler were on the front row of the stalls on October 7, 2018, when Mr Engler took the seat and moved Ms Chandler’s coat out of the way.
Mr Engler told the court he himself was arrested and held for 11 hours before being released without charge.
Lisa Wilding QC, for Feargrieve, said he has not worked since the criminal case was first reported in March last year.
Feargrieve denied but was convicted at trial of common assault by beating. He was ordered to pay a £900 fine, £500 compensation, £775 in prosecution costs, and a £90 victim surcharge.
