Golfer, 41, admits assault after punching pensioner in slow play row

Golfer, 41, admits assault after punching pensioner in the face and leaving him with black eye when he told him to ‘get a move on’ in row over slow play

  • Justin Lowe, 41, punched pensioner James Claridge in the face in golf course row
  • He had been frustrated with Lowe’s pace at Ferndown Forest Golf Club in Dorset
  • Lowe left him with a black eye after Mr Claridge said to ‘get a move on’ in August
  • He told police Mr Claridge grabbed him by throat and he acted in self-defence
  • The golfer admitted one charge of assault by beating at Poole Magistrates’ Court

A teed off golfer punched a pensioner in the face and left him with a black eye in a row over slow play.

Justin Lowe, 41, hit James Claridge after he was told to ‘get a move on’ at the Ferndown Forest Golf Club in Dorset.

A court heard Mr Claridge, aged in his 70s, and his friends made remarks at the group ahead to hurry up for at least 11 holes. 

After shouting at them on the difficult par 4, 15th hole Lowe erupted in a furious outburst and marched over to Mr Claridge to go ‘face to face.’

Lowe, a freemason, then punched Mr Claridge on the left side of his face, leaving him crumpled on the ground with a huge black eye.

Golfer Justin Lowe, 41, (pictured leaving Poole Magistrates Court in Dorset) admitted assault after punching pensioner James Claridge in the face when he told him to ‘get a move on’ in row over slow play

Lowe walked back to join his friends on their round but the police were called and he was arrested at the clubhouse. 

Lowe, who runs an ice cream kiosk in Swanage, has now appeared at Poole Magistrates’ Court, where he admitted one charge of assault by beating.

The court heard that the pair were not known to each other at the time their two respective groups teed off one after the other on August 4 last year.

Richard Oakley, prosecuting, said: ‘Mr Claridge was on the course behind a group that the defendant was a member of.

‘That group were playing at what he perceived to be a slow pace and there were frustrations over that.

‘Mr Claridge called across asking them to get a move on essentially.

‘The defendant went over, he was shouting at him and his face was close to Mr Claridge’s. 

The court heard Mr Claridge, aged in his 70s, and his friends made remarks at Mr Lowe’s group ahead to hurry up for at least 11 holes at the Ferndown Forest Golf Club in Dorset (pictured)

The incident took place at the gold club in August last year with the row erupting near the  difficult par 4, 15th hole

‘Mr Claridge pushed him away and was then punched to the left side of the face with the right fist.

‘Mr Claridge suffered a significant bruise under his eye as a result of the incident.’

District Judge Stephen Nichols was also shown graphic images of the injuries sustained by Mr Claridge.

When interviewed by police, Lowe claimed Mr Claridge had grabbed him by the throat and he was acting in self-defence.

However, he did not repeat the accusation in court and accepted responsibility for the attack.

Ben Schofield, mitigating for Lowe, said it was an ‘isolated incident’ and insisted there had been an element of provocation.

Lowe, from Bournemouth, admitted one charge of assault by beating at Poole Magistrates’ Court (pictured, stock image) and was handed a curfew and ordered to pay £100 in compensation to Mr Claridge

He said: ‘This is an incident that the defendant deeply regrets. It is not a situation he often gets himself into.

‘They were making remarks from the fourth hole onward and this took place on the 15th so I would say there is an element of provocation.’

Mr Schofield added that his client was currently struggling financially due to the impact of the pandemic on his ice cream business.

He said: ‘Mr Lowe runs a family ice cream kiosk in Swanage which has struggled because of coronavirus which has had a huge financial impact.

‘It has had such a negative impact on him that he is now on financial credit.’

Judge Nichols ordered Lowe to pay Mr Claridge £100 in compensation as well as £85 prosecution costs.

He also imposed a four week curfew meaning that Lowe must not leave his house between the hours of 7pm and 7am.

Lowe, from Bournemouth, is a member for the Dorset Freemasonry and will face a masonic disciplinary hearing following his conviction. 

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