A YouTuber filmed the moment he was subjected to an ‘unprovoked’ attack by a father in a busy shopping mall.
Footage shows carpet fitter Bradley Webb, 31, turning on social media film-maker Charles Veitch at the Trafford Centre shopping mall in Manchester.
Webb was seen hurling abuse and throwing shoes towards Mr Veitch inside a clothes store after the 44-year old victim challenged him for having shouted ‘paedophile’.
Mr Veitch activated the camera on his mobile phone to film the encounter, with Webb picking up items from the busy Hackett store – including a contactless bank card reader and shoes.
As staff and shoppers tried to calm him down, Webb them hurled at Mr Veitch who is a prolific YouTube content sharer with 2,400 videos and 531,000 subscribers.
Away from the camera, the victim’s girlfriend Laura Garside, 23, had her hair pulled and was punched to the head by Webb’s 28-year old partner Robyn Laing.
Miss Garside, who suffered a bruise above her eyebrow and the bridge of her nose, was so traumatised by the attack she refused to leave her house for two weeks, Wigan Magistrates’ Court heard.
Mr Veitch, who has 522,000 subscribers to his YouTube channel, said the ‘paedophile’ slur was aimed at him because he has a girlfriend half his age.
He told Wigan Magistrates’ Court: ‘It is such a disgusting thing to say. Some words cause violence and other haters could have attacked me.
‘We know situations where people have had their houses burned down for this allegation.
‘I did not think there would be any violence. We were in a posh shopping mall. I thought I would tell him off and that would be the end of it.’
Details of the incident emerged at the court, where Webb and Laing, from Great Moor in Stockport, faced charges of common assault.
Both were convicted in their absence after they failed to show up and a warrant was issued for their arrest.
The assault occurred when Mr Veitch and Miss Garside were on a day out at the mall at about 1pm on July 23 2023.
Mr Veitch told the hearing: ‘I heard someone from behind shout “paedophile” and I thought, “Someone is having a go”.
‘It is an insult others have used against me as there is a 21-year age difference between me and Laura.
‘I have had other lads shouting such things at me – so I think, here we go, this is about Laura.
‘I turned around and said, “You cannot say that in public, mate” – but he was saying, “What, what, what is your problem?”
‘I am saying, “Why did you call me a paedophile? You cannot just shout paedophile at people” – but he took a step towards me and then I saw the female attacking Laura.
‘I was trying to save my girlfriend from the assault but he wanted to attack me. He tried to hit me with a big haymaker a right hook and kicked me in the gut.’
The couple were ushered into the Hackett store but Webb followed them inside and Mr Veitch began filming him.
The victim added: ‘He picked up an object and threw it at me. I said, “You attacked a girl, you should be ashamed, you horrible man”.
‘But he then threw a contactless card payment device at me. He said, “You and me come around the corner and I will get you”.
‘He was offering a physical fight away from where we were. Something like, “Let’s fight”.’
Miss Garside told the court: ‘We were walking when we heard a voice from behind us shouting, “Paedophile”.
‘My partner and I turned around and there was a couple there with a baby staring at us so we knew it was them.
‘We were in shock and asked why they said that. They immediately got their back up. The woman grabbed my hair with two hands and pulled it hard. I was terrified.’
A police statement from a Sgt Black who attended the incident read: ‘I was advised by members of the public and staff that Mr Webb and Miss Laing had been the aggressors and their behaviour was described as disgusting. The female victim was very upset and crying.’
In a police interview, nail technician Laing said she and Webb were on their way to a Wetherspoons pub for lunch when the incident occurred.
She told officers: ‘Bradley said the word paedophile in conversation and this guy, nearly 7ft tall, turned around and said, “What?”.
‘We were just having our own conversation but they assumed that Bradley was calling him a paedophile. He is a gobs***e and does not realise how loudly he talks.
‘She told me to “Shut up, you little chav” and looked at him, at Bradley, in a nasty way.
‘We were just trying to leave with my baby but she kept getting closer to me. That is when I stepped closer and pushed her back. It is like, I flew at her, but I did not.’
Webb told officers: ‘They said I called them a paedophile and I told them to come outside away from my daughter.
‘He hit me on the nose and I lost my s*** after that and threw shoes at him. I did nothing but protect myself. It was self defence, to keep him where he was.’
Video footage that has now been released shows Webb angrily saying, ‘Come out the front and have it with me now – have it with me now’.
After hurling an object across the store, he adds: ‘My baby’s with me.’
In convicting the couple, District Judge Jane Hamilton said: ‘Throwing things in the shop was certainly not defensive at all.’