17 Dec 2013 06:00
An unholy row: Catholic priest in 'punch-up' with train passenger
A catholic priest was involved in a scuffle with a train passenger in a row over a reserved seat.
Paul Joseph Carr, 53, got on the Arriva train from Manchester Piccadilly to Llandudno in Wales when he found the seat he had reserved online taken by Joseph Lane and his friends.
A row broke out and Mr Carr was alleged to have punched Mr Lane.
He was hauled to court where he was found not guilty of punching passenger Joseph Lane in the face after a day-long trial after magistrates ruled he had acted in self defence.
The court heard how Mr Carr, of Bossall Avenue, Blackley , boarded the train one day in February to find a friend of Mr Lane's sat in the seat he had reserved in an online booking.
Mr Lane was with his wife Winifred and another couple sat on four seats around a table on a trip to Chester.
He told magistrates that Mr Carr angrily confronted his party and demanded they give up the seat he had reserved.
Mr Lane, giving evidence at Manchester magistrates court, said he told Mr Carr there were no reservation cards in the back of any seats.
Mr Carr then picked up a rucksack from the table in front of them in a bid to force them to leave and began to walk away with it, it was claimed.
Mrs Lane said she had to wrestle back the rucksack.
Her husband then admitted that he grabbed hold of Mr Carr's coat lapels but said Mr Carr punched him once in the face, causing a swollen lip and a slight cut.
Mr Carr, who is understood to have connections to a Catholic church in Vancouver, Canada, was spoken to by an off-duty British Transport Police officer and taken from the train at Oxford Road.
He was later charged with a single count of common assault, a charge he denied.
Mr Carr, who gave his occupation as a member of the clergy and said he was travelling to a retreat in Rhyl, denied he was 'agitated and aggressive'.
He told the court: I had my ticket and my reservation and I showed it them.
He (Mr Lane) said they were not moving as they were already sat down, then he grinned at the man sat next to him. Almost as an incentive I moved the bag to the end of the table.
The man stood up and reached past his wife then grabbed hold of me. He pulled me forward and I did not know what he was going to do.
I put my hand out and that is when it hit his lower jaw. The only contact that was made was when I pushed his head away. I did not punch him.
William Kempton, chairman of the bench, said Mr Carr's evidence was 'consistent and believable'.
He said: We believe, taking into consideration the defendant's good character, that you did cause injury to the complainant, but it was self defence to keep him at bay and the force you used was reasonable.
Mr Carr left court without commenting.
