A father who beat up the coach of a Bexley boys' football team during a match has been spared jail.

Stewart Collins was left with a broken nose, two black eyes and cuts to his head after he confronted Martin Ogazi, of Greenhaven Drive, Thamesmead, during a junior league match for the under-9s.

Mr Collins, the manager of Danson Sports FC, believed Ogazi, 39, was encouraging his son to hurt the opposing players.

During an Old Bailey trial, the court heard when Mr Collins asked him to stop, Ogazi pushed and punched him repeatedly.

When another manager tried to intervene Ogazi said: "You and all then", and punched him in the face.

Today (June 5), Ogazi was given a 12 month prison sentence, suspended for 18 months, after being found guilty of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and assault by beating.

Prosecutor Avantika Prakash said the scuffle broke out on March 23 last year as Mr Collins' side played Eversley United at the Hall Place recreation ground in Bexleyheath.

Ogazi's son, playing for Eversley, had already scored the opening goal when he fouled an opponent 10 minutes into the game.

Ms Prakash said: "The referee decided Mr Ogazi's son had committed a foul, therefore he gave Mr Collins' team a free-kick.

"Seconds later, Mr Ogazi shouted at his son 'give him more of that'.

"Mr Collins felt the comment was out of order, so he went around the pitch and went over to Mr Ogazi."

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Giving evidence, Mr Collins said: "It appeared to me he was blatantly trying to tell his son to hurt my players.

"I asked him if he would calm it down a little bit and not to tell his son to hurt my players.

"I was very calm and respectful, I was polite.

"He said something to me in quite an aggressive manner and pushed me in the chest.

"A couple of seconds later he started punching me."

Ms Prakash said the attack was "vicious and unprovoked", with Ogazi as the undoubted aggressor.

She said: "At first Mr Ogazi pushed Mr Collins, causing him to stumble backwards.

"Following that Mr Ogazi punched Stewart Collins several times in the face.

"The force caused Stewart Collins to sustain a number of injuries including a broken nose."

Steve Ristow was watching his team, Kingsdale FC, play on an adjacent pitch, and also tried to stop Ogazi from attacking Mr Collins, the court heard.

Ms Prakash said: "He came to try and defuse the situation and stood in front of Mr Ogazi and tried to usher him away."

Ogazi then said: "You and all then" and punched Mr Ristow in the face.

Mr Collins said he was taken to hospital for treatment to his injuries, while Ogazi was detained at the pitch and then arrested.

Ogazi told police Mr Collins had been the aggressor and he had acted in self-defence.

He was also accused of attacking Mr Collins' sister Tracey and wife Claire, when they tried to intervene, but was cleared.