One-legged man who attacked fan at Alice Cooper gig is spared jail because of ill health

By Daily Mail Reporter
Updated: 05:29 EST, 23 July 2009


Andrew Miller received a six month suspended sentence

'Nuisance': Andrew Miller shook his false leg around in the venue

A one-legged heavy metal fan who beat up a fellow rocker at an Alice Cooper concert was spared jail due to his ill health.

Andrew Miller, who wears a prosthetic limb after losing part of his right leg in a motorcycle accident, attacked John Lynch at the concert in Southampton Guildhall on July 25 last year.

The judge John Boggis QC yesterday gave him a six-month sentence suspended for 18 months, a three-month curfew and ordered him to pay Mr Lynch £250 compensation.

Epileptic Miller, 46, from Emsworth, West Sussex, made a nuisance of himself by taking off his top and waving his false leg around in the seated part of the venue.

He punched John Lynch, a service manager for disabled adults and children, several times after his victim asked him to calm down.

Miller was found guilty of actual bodily harm at Southampton Crown Court last month.

Married Miller told the court that he had acted out of self-defence and had only punched Mr Lynch after he had hit him with his own motorcycle crash helmet.

The court heard that Mr Lynch needed hospital treatment and suffered bruising to his shoulder and elbow and cuts and bruises to his head while Miller suffered a fracture to his right hand.

The judge told Southampton Crown Court that Miller had previous convictions for violence, theft and drugs and that he had not been provoked by his victim.

'It's perfectly clear you were making an exhibition of yourself and a nuisance of yourself.

The punch up took place at an Alice Cooper concert on 25 July, like this held at the ExCel Centre in London the night before

Horror rocker: The punch up took place at an Alice Cooper concert in Southampton on 25 July, the night before this one at the ExCel Centre in London

'You thoroughly ruined his (Mr Lynch's) evening. This sort of behaviour is simply unacceptable,' he said.

He added if Miller had not been ill he would have jailed him.

 

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