A pensioner strangled a mother–of–two during a live theatre performance of We Will Rock You in London, a court heard.

Malcolm Potier, 74, allegedly attacked Kirsty O'Donnell, 51, during a press night at the London Coliseum on June 7, 2023.

Potier was invited to attend the show, which featured Queen guitarist Brian May, by theatre critic Lizzie Loveridge, the editor of TheatreVibe, Southwark Crown Court heard this week.

The incident erupted in the West End theatre after Ms Loveridge complained about Ms O'Donnell's friend Charlotte Goss's use of her phone during the performance. She subsequently put it away.

Ms Loveridge then allegedly confronted the two friends, who were singing along to the musical, saying: 'Will you two just shut the f*** up?'

After Ms O'Donnell said she was offended by the remark, Potier 'leapt into action' and 'aggressively' told her, 'I will show you what rude is', the jury was told.

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, who works in HR, told jurors: 'At the time of the assault he was sat down, people were singing, people were enjoying the show. I don't believe we were particularly loud, it was a musical and we sang along to the words of the songs being played.

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

'That wasn't uncommon to what people around us were doing.'

Ms O'Donnell said once the pressure had 'eased', she was able to ask Potier: 'Can you please let go?' adding he then 'turned and fixated on the stage again'.

Ms O'Donnell, from South Yorkshire, described being in 'shock, terror and just pure disbelief' following the alleged assault.

The self–described 'theatre fan' stayed in her seat until the end of the show as she 'didn't want to walk past [Potier] after the [alleged] incident'.

Ms Loveridge and Potier both left during the encore.

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.

The mother–of–two later found Ms Loveridge on Facebook, where she had photos of Potier on her page. She also found a review of the show on the critic's website TheatreVibe.

She told jurors 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.'

Ms O'Donnell attended the musical with her university friend Ms Goss, from Kent, during a catch–up after six months of not seeing each other.

The pair moved seats for the second half of the show after Ms O'Donnell became nauseous, due to the summer heat and the height of their seats, and moved next to Potier for the remainder of the performance, the court heard.

Ms Wallace, who was sat near Potier and Ms Loveridge from the start of the show, said the theatre critic was 'very grumpy' after people moved closer to her seat.

The court heard Ms Loveridge proceeded to tell people off, Ms Wallace included, for having their phones out – while 'hushing and shushing' audience members.

Ms Wallace said 'Ms Loveridge told someone to 'shut the f*** up',' which was followed by an altercation she couldn't see from her seat.

She described Ms O'Donnell as being 'visibly shaken and upset', after 'someone grabbed her around the neck'.

Ms Goss told jurors Potier was 'leaning over [her] to get to Kirsty who was next to me', adding: 'He would have been very close to me.

'After that I just froze, I looked at Kirsty as I couldn't get over what happened. So we just sat there and watched the rest of the show.'

When questioned by Potier's defence barrister, Sam Clarke, what the lighting conditions were like, Ms O'Donnell said: 'We were three or four rows away from the stage, we had stage lights so I could see people.'

'I do know it was well–lit enough to see a lot of people around me,' she added.

Ms O'Donnell reported the incident to theatre staff and filed a police report at Charing Cross Police Station that night, before making six additional statements.

Potier, who appeared in the dock wearing a navy suit with a blue shirt and tie, has pleaded not guilty to one count of assault by beating.

He claims he has been misidentified.

Mr Clarke told the jury Ms O'Donnell had changed her description of Potier over the course of several witness statements, eventually whittling it down to Potier's exact likeness.

He said Ms O'Donnell had described Potier only after seeing him on Ms Loveridge's Facebook – and concluded he was her alleged attacker.

He told Ms O'Donnell: 'No one disputes you were assaulted but the face you now remember from the photograph is not the person from the night'.

Ms O'Donnell replied: 'I completely disagree'.

When asked whether she accepts she was mistaken, she replied: 'Absolutely not'.

Mr Clarke also noted, over the course of her police statements, Ms O'Donnell changed the layout of the seating from Potier being next to her to Ms Goss to being in between them.

In reply, Ms O'Donnell said: 'I was two seats away from him. Theatre seats are very close to each other.

'I absolutely recognise his face and saw his face on multiple occasions.'

The trial continues.