Former Norwich City coach jailed for tent pole attack in Covid mask row at McDonald's

A former youth coach at Norwich City has been jailed for attacking a man with a metal pole at a Peterborough McDonald's in a row over Covid masks.

Conor Murphy, 29, worked for the Canaries' regional development programme until his departure after the incident in on June 29, 2021.

Murphy was queuing for food at McDonald’s at Haddon Services when he confronted a group of four about why they were not all wearing Covid masks.

When he was told one of the women in the group was exempt from wearing a mask because of a heart bypass, Murphy returned to his car.

He grabbed a metal tent pole from behind the driver’s seat and returned to the restaurant where he hit a man on the head.

He then struck a woman on the wrist with the tent pole.

Onlookers tried to restrain Murphy, but he left and drove away in his car.

Murphy, of Stamford Lane, Warmington, Northamptonshire, was arrested a few days later after handing himself in at Thorpe Wood Police Station.

He was jailed for two years and eight months having pleaded guilty to actual bodily harm, grievous bodily harm and possession of an offensive weapon, at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court sitting as a crown court on Wednesday 8 March.

DC Andrea Farnes said: “This was a disgusting and pointless assault on someone who was just going about their daily business.

“Murphy knew what he was doing was incredibly dangerous and he can now reflect on his stupid actions in prison.”

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