Pensioner tried to strangle singing theatre goer at We Will Rock You musical after his companion told her to 'shut the f*** up', court hears

Published: 16:57, 22 July 2026 | Updated: 16:59, 22 July 2026 A pensioner tried to strangle a mother-of-two theatre goer during a live performance of We Will Rock You after his companion told her to 'shut the f*** up', a court heard. Malcolm Potier, 74, allegedly put his hands around the neck of Kirsty O'Donnell, 51, after she sang along to the show at the London Coliseum on June 7, 2023.  Potier sat next to theatre critic Lizzie Loveridge, the editor of TheatreVibe, during the show, which featured Queen guitarist Brian May, it was told. During the show, Ms Loveridge confronted Ms O'Donnell and her university friend Charlotte Goss, saying: 'Will you two shut the f*** up?' To Ms O'Donnell's reply of 'that's a bit rude', Potier said: 'I will show you what rude is.'  It is understood Potier, from Sarratt, Hertfordshire, then leant over and grabbed Ms O'Donnell's neck, applying 'intense pressure' for 'around three to four seconds'.  Ms O'Donnell, from north Yorkshire, described being in 'shock, terror and just pure disbelief' following the alleged assault.  The theatre critic would later write a scathing review of the musical in which she noted the 'behaviour of the audience', the jury was told. Malcolm Potier, 74, allegedly attacked Kirsty O'Donnell, 51, during a live theatre performance of We Will Rock You at the London Coliseum on June 7, 2023 Pictured: Potier attended Southwark Crown Court on Tuesday She wrote: 'There are those that are chattering all through as if they are at home watching their televisions and get cross and aggressive when you ask them to stop talking. 'And worst of all are those sing along audience members who inflict their mediocre singing voice on the rest of us.' Ms Loveridge denied knowing Potier and told police she only sat next to him after she offered up her spare press ticket to 'a man outside', the court heard on Wednesday. Potier was arrested on November 28, 2023, but 'de-arrested' on medical grounds.  He was then invited back for a voluntary interview in which he made no comment to all the questions asked.  Potier appeared in the dock on Wednesday wearing a navy suit and a white shirt and tie. Sam Lubner, prosecuting, said police later triangulated Ms Loveridge’s phone signal to show she was in attendance at the London Coliseum on the day of the alleged incident. While Ms Loveridge's phone was tracked from Rickmansworth to London, Potier's own phone stayed put and did not move from the Hertfordshire town during the evening. The jury was told Ms O'Donnell later identified Potier and Ms Loveridge after a fellow audience member, Louise Wallace, gave her a business card she had been given by the theatre critic earlier in the evening. Ms Wallace told Ms O'Donnell the alleged incident was 'unacceptable' and urged her to report it to police, the jury was told. Ms O'Donnell reported the incident to theatre staff and filed a police report at Charing Cross Police Station that night.  The mother–of–two later found Ms Loveridge on Facebook, where photos of Potier featured on her page. She also found the review of the show on the critic's website TheatreVibe. She told jurors on Tuesday she was '100 per cent sure' of the identity of her alleged attacker. She added: 'That is him, I could tell by the features on the photograph. 'I don't forget faces, I instantly recognised him. The incident shook me enormously. Seeing faces at the time brought it back and the incident played out in front of me straight away.' Potier denies one count of assault by beating and one count of non-fatal strangulation. He claims he has been misidentified.  Sorry we are not currently accepting comments on this article.