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Joe Cordina addressed press outside Cardiff Magistrates' Court alongside lawyer Nadeem Majid(Image: Press Association)
Joe Cordina’s lawyer has said the former world champion boxer hopes to be on the bill for the Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua fight in Cardiff in December after the 34-year-old was found not guilty of assaulting a man outside a petrol station.
On Tuesday Judge Charlotte Murphy issued her judgement following the assault trial at Cardiff Magistrates’ Court, finding Cordina not guilty of assaulting Jamie O’Brien, 33, at the petrol station in Pentwyn in February.
The judge said: “I am satisfied that the defendant believed it was necessary to use force to defend himself. I am further satisfied that a single, measured, controlled punch was proportionate in the circumstances.”
After Cordina walked free from court on Tuesday, Nadeem Majid, his counsel in the case, told press: “Today’s verdict is a huge relief for Joe and everybody close to him. He’s always maintained his innocence throughout.
“On behalf of Joe I’d like to thank his family, friends, loyal fans, and legal team for their unwavering support. Joe would now like to continue to concentrate on his family and boxing, and we’d all like to see him on the bill in December.”
Cordina alongside Nadeem Majid heading into court (Image: Zoe Head-Thomas /PA Wire)
Last month Eddie Hearn said he wanted Cordina on the undercard for Fury vs Joshua on Friday, December 11. "I'd love to see Joe get an opportunity on the card," Hearn said.
"Obviously, we've got a lot of Welsh fighters coming through as well. We've got so many young fighters who want to be a part of the night.
"I know they'll want to be an international focus on it, you know, I think of America, but match him with the Brits. You know, we're in Wales. Give Joe Cordina his shot. It's a hell of a fight."
Clearing Cordina on Tuesday, Judge Murphy said she accepted Cordina’s evidence that he had repeatedly pushed O’Brien “while on the floor to keep him away from him”.
“This is a person who has lived in the public eye for many years and has interacted with the public on a daily basis. For all of those reasons, the crown has not proved to the criminal standard. I therefore find the defendant not guilty and dismiss the charge.”
The defendant had been filling up his Land Rover before he approached O’Brien, who had been sitting on the pavement near the station exit.
CCTV footage played to the court showed O’Brien proceeding to push Cordina using his shoulder, before Cordina “punched him with sufficient force to knock him to the ground”.
Cordina told the court it was “pretty much” a certainty that he would risk losing his boxing licence if he received a criminal conviction and that this “100%” had an impact on how he conducted himself day to day.