Black belt martial arts champion exposed as thug who knocked unconscious Asda worker dressed as Spider-Man

An assailant who knocked an Asda worker unconscious while wearing a Spider-Man outfit has been exposed as a black belt martial arts champion.

Josh McDonald, 33, shocked thousands online when footage emerged of his violent attack during a masquerade invasion of an Asda branch self-proclaimed “influencers”.

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A judge heard yesterday that he had confessed actual bodily harm and violent disorder during the incident, which was videotaped and streamed live by several people in the crowd.

McDonald has a black belt in mixed martial arts who trained at the Black Dragon Martial Arts Academy near his home in Northampton before winning a string of fights, Daily Mail reports.

He claimed online that he was a contender for the “Isco World Kickboxing Championship” in 2016, which was held in Stuttgart. Germany.

However, his dream of sporting glory is now shattered after he and four others admitted their involvement in the violent attack in Clapham Junction, South London in July 2021.

George O’Boyle, 30, who was dressed as Ali G, is said to have been the mastermind of the prank and repeatedly threatened staff with his fists as he led a group of his online followers, who were also dressed in costume, into the supermarket.

Although it was billed as a fun gimmick, it turned violent and obnoxious with the series Asda staff were beaten with metal bars, punched, kicked and left bloodied after a mob stormed the store’s pantry.

Sophie Roberts, 19, who was dressed as Little Red Riding Hood and also a kickboxer who trained at the same academy as McDonald, punched Asda manager Lauren Scott in the face when the worker challenged her.

As Ms Scott tried to defend herself, Macdonald came forward and kicked and punched her hard, knocking her unconscious.

The trial was expected to last four weeks at Kingston upon Thames Crown Court court but yesterday it emerged that all the key figures had pleaded guilty.

They should be sentenced next month.

Along with his guilty plea to McDonald’s, O’Boyle, of Surbiton, South London, admitted both violent disorder and assault occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH).

“Red Riding Hood” Roberts, from Northampton, yesterday pleaded guilty to the ABH attack on Ms Scott and disorderly conduct involving threats of violence.

Ricky McKenzie, 37, a one-legged amateur boxer, also from Northampton, dressed up as ‘Andy’, an artificially disabled person from Little Britain, to attend the Asda raid.

As employees tried to pull him out of the store, he fell from his wheelchair.

McKenzie pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct with threats of violence.

Mark Pettigrew, 38, from West London, was an “army man” involved in the attack on the two workers.

Although he was not present in court, magistrates said he had admitted a public order offense involving threats of violence.

O’Boyle’s girlfriend and mum-of-two, Katie Pickard, 31, from south London, was dressed as a nun, while Charlie J Sharp, 19, from Northampton, went to the supermarket as ‘Cabinet Girl’ in a purple jumpsuit. .

Prosecutor Nicholas Mather told the court he was not prosecuting them, adding: “They were certainly in Asda and involved in some way, but whether they personally used violence or threatened them with violence is debatable and at some point they could will be seen on videotapes that deter persons involved in violence.”

Both were formally found not guilty of rioting.

The maximum penalty for felony assault, as well as for hooliganism, is five years in prison.

A public offense involving threats of violence can result in up to six months.

O’Boyle, known as ‘Gee Money’ online, had more than 50,000 followers on his social media account, where he performed stunts in shops, such as footage of him making a breakfast fry-up in a supermarket aisle.

O’Boyle and McDonald also released videos of themselves remotely ordering Roberts to sneak into the store at night and laughing as she screamed and swore at employees who caught her and asked her to leave.

The Clapham Junction incident also involved Batman and the Man-Fly.

Unemployed Macdonald, who describes himself as a “sportsman/entertainer”, was described by his martial arts trainer as an “elite athlete, multiple champion” who was “locked and loaded”, according to the Mail.

It said: “Josh represented our country in our sport, winning a bronze medal and becoming the Southern Region Champion. World bronze medalist. A real warrior.”

O’Boyle describes himself as a “young sociable salesman” who said that “supermarkets are my playground”.

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