Kerry Dixon in court: Former Chelsea striker 'punched and kicked' man after being called 'fatso'

53-year-old in court over alleged incident

Kerry Dixon in 1985 (GETTY IMAGES)

Former Chelsea striker Kerry Dixon punched and kicked a father-of-two in a pub after he was called a "fatso", a court has heard.

Luton Crown Court was shown footage of the attack, in which the eight-times capped former England player knocked a drinker from a bar stool at The Nags Head in Dunstable last May.

Dixon has denied causing actual bodily harm.

The court was told that the 53-year-old, who also played for Reading, Southampton, Luton Town and Millwall, will be claiming he struck out in a "pre-emptive strike" in self defence.

The attack on 38-year-old father-of-two Ben Scoble was filmed by the pub's CCTV cameras at 12:40 BST on 15 May 2014. It shows Dixon punching the alleged victim in the face and then delivering punches and kicks when he was on the ground. The jury heard Mr Scoble suffered a cut lip and two loosened teeth.

It's alleged that the fight began after Mr Scoble swore at Dixon and refused to vacate a seat previously occupied by the former Chelsea player.

The Nags Head pub (Google Street View)

Simon Stirling, prosecuting, said Dixon told police he continued to hit the other man "to make sure he stayed down and no longer presented a threat to him".

It was claimed Mr Scoble approached Dixon in the pub's toilets earlier in the evening and asked: "You're a drug dealer, have you got any drugs?"

Mr Scoble denies any recollection of that moment and denied swearing at Dixon.

The trial continues.