Bodybuilder Calling Himself 'Hard C***' Kills Man With One Punch After He Accidentally Stepped On His Foot
A bodybuilder who described himself as the 'hardest c*** in the north west' killed a father-of-two in an unprovoked attack.
Robert Owen Greenhalgh has been declared as 'dangerous' and put behind bars for more than 11 years following the attack on 2 September last year.
Greenhalgh had been in Luxe Lounge in Bolton's city centre at the time of the incident.
Robert Smethurst, who had been celebrating his birthday with his cousin Aaron Bates, accidentally stepped on the bodybuilder's foot earlier in the evening. He quickly apologised and all seemed amicable between the two.
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At around 1.30am, Greenhalgh then launched an unprovoked assault, hitting Bates and punching Smethurst with the force of a 'heavyweight boxer', Manchester Crown Court heard, as reported by Manchester Evening News.
The punch caused Smethurst immediate brain trauma before he hit the ground. Greenhalgh then continued to attack the pair, before puffing out his chest and shouting: "Who else wants some?"
While initially charged with murder, Greenhalgh pleaded guilty to manslaughter. In earlier interviews with the police, he claimed the pair he attacked were acting 'cocky' and looked at him 'funnily', despite no evidence of this on CCTV.
Sentencing, Judge Anthony Cross QC said: "Not for one moment did you consider that which you had done, other than to glory in your achievement and invite others to attack you.
"It is unsurprising not one single person including the door staff intervened, such was the terror you caused inside that club."
Speaking to the court, Smethurst's wife Amanda said: "I was robbed of my husband, my best friend, my happiness and my future all in one.
"How could someone be so violent and hateful towards my husband who did absolutely nothing to deserve this attack?
"The love for my husband is overwhelming proof of what an incredible man he is. I miss him more than words could ever describe."
After the incident, Greenhalgh drove away in his work van while intoxicated, and officers later found a syringe with traces of steroids in his vehicle.
He was known to have bragged about taking drugs, earlier claiming to have taken £50,000 ($64,000) worth of cocaine in six months. As a result of his addiction, his relationship had broken down and he was living between friends' homes and hotels.
In messages shared with the court, his mum told him: "Owen you should be ashamed of yourself. You are kidding yourself if you think this is going to end well. The only way this is going to end is death for you.
"You are so far gone now that you don't even know what is right and wrong anymore, and for your information only idiots do what you are doing, not nice people.
"You lie, you cheat, you control with brute force but you will die if you don't stop. I'm done with you I'm afraid. It's OK but you need help."
Judge Cross added: "She was wrong about one thing only. It would not be your death but the death of a wholly innocent man."
Topics: UK News
Cameron Frew