Man asked barrister: ‘Are you Jewish?’ before punching him, court hears

A man asked a barrister: “Are you Jewish?” before punching him in the jaw, a court has heard.

Tony Steer is accused of attacking Nathaniel Bor on the evening of 13 December last year after the alleged victim left a birthday party at Finchley Cricket Club in north London, Willesden Magistrates’ Court heard.

The 35-year-old has denied assault by beating and racially or religiously aggravated assault by beating.

On Wednesday, Mr Bor told the court he and his friend spotted Steer standing on the opposite side of the road as the pair were waiting outside the venue for an Uber.

Mr Bor said: “Initially, my friend Will turned to me and said: ‘What is that bloke doing?’ or words to that effect, and I looked up and I saw an individual with a big smile on his face giving two middle fingers to my friend and I.”

“I did not know him at all. My response to my friend was: ‘He’s obviously had a big night.’”

He added: “‘He then approached my friend and I and said: ‘Oi, are you two together?’ which was asked probably twice maybe more, and was initially responded to by myself by chucking, and there was pointing.

“It was insinuated from my understanding were we together in a sexual way or in a romantic way, that’s what I took it to mean.”

Mr Bor said he told Steer to cross back over the road and catch his bus.

“He then didn’t cross the road, he then turned to me and said to me: ‘Are you Jewish?’ to which I responded: ‘What on earth has that got to do with anything?’ with a slight chuckle,” the barrister added.

“I was quite taken aback by that question, it’s not something I’ve been asked before.

“Having said that to him he then asked the exact same question: ‘Are you Jewish?’ to which I gave exactly the same response: ‘What on earth has that got to do with anything?’

“The defendant then smiled and then out of nowhere pulled back his fist and punched me very hard in the jaw.”

Steer then walked down the road and jumped over a fence and Mr Bor called the police, the trial heard.

Mr Bor told the court his jaw was “painful for weeks” and his teeth were “painful” for a number of days after the alleged incident, and he still has a bruise on the inner side of his lip.

The defendant, of Campfield Road in Greenwich, London, wore a black puffer jacket and black trousers to the hearing and spoke to confirm his identity.

The trial continues.