Theatregoer who throttled woman at show is jailed

Prosecutor Sam Lubner said Potier had been at the show, which is based on the music of the rock band Queen, with his theatre critic partner Lizzie Loveridge.

He said O'Donnell and a friend had started singing, then Loveridge - using a profanity - told them to "shut up".

O'Donnell suggested the reaction was "rude", but Potier responded by saying "I'll show you what rude is" before attacking her.

The court was told the attack lasted a few seconds.

Potier and Loveridge were later tracked down thanks to the business card she had given out to O'Donnell, and he was arrested in November 2023.

O'Donnell was not physically injured, but she told the judge she was "more wary" of her surroundings since the attack and "far more conscious" of her "physical safety".

"I want to set an example for the young women and girls in my life, that this sort of behaviour is not acceptable," she said.

She also described hearing Potier "laughing" outside court during the trial, talking about his belief that he would not be given a prison sentence partly because of his age.

The judge was told how Potier was given a six-year jail sentence in 2002 for inciting the murder of his former partner in Australia.

He was given a further 12-year sentence in 2006 for trying to arrange her murder again.

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