Izzy Iriekpen: Teacher glassed by ex-West Ham footballer will never work again

Jailed: Izzy Iriekpen glassed Mr Williams in a row over a female friend’s Porsche
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A teacher who nearly died when he was glassed by a former West Ham footballer will never work again after suffering three heart attacks, a court heard.

Simon Williams, 61, was so badly hurt by Izzy Iriekpen that hospital staff said he was a “dead man walking”.

Once a super-fit martial arts expert who did karate and judo training three times a week, Mr Williams now receives regular medical treatment and was physically and emotionally scarred by the incident, the Old Bailey was told.

Iriekpen, 33, lashed out after a “trivial squabble” outside the Westbourne Tavern in Notting Hill, where Mr Williams worked as a doorman.

After Mr Williams objected to where the former defender’s female friend had parked her Porsche, Iriekpen smashed his glass on his neck.

Mr Williams bled heavily from puncture wounds to his neck and was resuscitated after his heart stopped during emergency surgery.

Mr Vine said: “The hospital had been treating him as someone who was not expected to survive — he overheard someone refer to him as a ‘dead man walking’.”

Iriekpen bowed his head in the dock yesterday as a jury found him guilty of unlawful wounding and he was jailed for three years and three months.

Prosecutor James Vine then revealed that Mr Williams nearly died after the attack in July 2014 and had suffered three heart attacks that had been linked to his injuries.

Mr Williams was in hospital yesterday for surgery to try to stabilise his heart, but has been told by doctors that he must retire.

“He described himself as a very fit man prior to this and nobody can think of any other reason why he would suffer three heart attacks,” said Mr Vine.

“He had been working as a teacher but it is no longer going to be possible for him to continue to do that work.”

Iriekpen, who captained the 1999 FA Youth Cup winning team, lashed out after Mr Williams and a colleague told his friend to move her car because it was blocking the entrance to the pub.The court heard that Iriekpen, from Paddington, played for West Ham between 1998 and 2003 but failed to break through to the first team because of injury.

He was loaned to Leyton Orient and Cambridge United before joining Swansea. However, during his stint with them, Iriekpen was cautioned by police for a public order offence after swinging his belt at Cardiff fans who had abused him in a pub.

He was cautioned for spitting on a man he claims racially abused him and in 2011 was convicted for possession of a dangerous dog.

Recorder Michael Brompton QC, jailing Iriekpen, said: “You punched Mr Williams in the side of his head with a glass that you were holding, inflicting wounds from his ear to his shoulder and severely damaging two arteries.

“The loss of blood imperilled his life, it has left him with serious physical injuries, significant psychological damage and significant disability.”

Iriekpen claimed he was acting in self defence and forgot he had the glass in his hand. He said he “just wanted to get away from” Mr Williams and a second bouncer, adding: “I didn’t have time to think. I had two people on top of me.”

He was acquitted of common assault and wounding with intent, but convicted of unlawful wounding. He had denied all three charges.

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