Wedding buffet row 'resulted in battered bride'

Jun 11 2008 by Chris Robinson, The Journal

A BRIDE was left to walk down the aisle with a cut eye after a row about the wedding buffet. Bernadette Henderson and fiancé Eric McGibbon were left to parade their injuries in church after both were involved in an altercation with the partner of the woman who had been supposed to provide the food for their big day.

Newcastle Crown Court heard how the bride-to-be had asked friend Joyce Miller to provide catering for the evening function after the ceremony.

But on the evening before the big day, the pair visited Mrs Miller, where she told them that her son had spent the cash for the food and that there would be no buffet.

A jury of six men and six women was told that the couple, from Sunderland, were then attacked by Kevin Forster following Mrs Miller’s confession.

Miss Henderson suffered a cut to her eye and Mr McGibbon a wound to his head and dog bites during the incident in July last year.

Forster, 49, of Allendale Road, Sunderland, denies assault occasioning actual bodily harm and grievous bodily harm.

During the first day of the trial yesterday, the court heard how Mrs Miller had been told to cater for 130 guests about seven weeks previously and had been paid £150, but was rarely in touch.

Before the alleged attack, the couple had been with friends and family at a Catholic club where the function was due to be held.

Nick Peacock, defending, said: “When you got to this stage, you didn’t know what was happening with the buffet and you were presumably very worried?” Mr McGibbon replied: “We were just concerned.” The court heard that the couple had been told by Mrs Miller’s daughter that she hadn’t heard from her mother for a couple of weeks, but Mr McGibbon still said they remained calm.

Mr Peacock added: “You have 130 guests to the Catholic club, you have just been told you don’t know where the woman was who prepared the buffet and you were all quite calm? Was it not the case you were all quite annoyed?”

Mr McGibbon replied: “I wouldn’t say I was annoyed, I didn’t know if something was wrong with Joyce, whether she was ill.”

Mr Peacock added: “This was Bernadette’s first marriage, she was obviously very keen everything goes well, was it not the case she was furious about all this at that stage?” The couple drove to Mrs Miller’s home with wedding guests and Forster answered the door, followed by Mrs Miller, who then got into their car, the court heard.

It was then that she confessed there was no buffet and that her son had taken the money and spent it, the jury was told.

The couple returned to her home and it is then that the alleged assaults took place.

Mr McGibbon said he was covered in blood, that Forster hit him about 10 times and had also been attacked by his dog.

But the court was told that after leaving, the couple didn’t initially call the police or an ambulance.

The trial continues.