THE husband of Olympic diving champ Tom Daley was punched in the head by a BBC presenter during a nightclub row, a court heard.
Dustin Lance Black, 49, has been accused of “grabbing and twisting” the wrist of BBC Three host Teddy Edwardes, causing a drink to spill over her.
CCTV played showed the pair in a heated row before Ms Edwardes, 33, appears to hit the Oscar-winning screenwriter as he walks away.
The two-minute clip revealed ex-Love Island winner Amber Gill witnessed the bust-up involving Ms Edwardes, who she was previously believed to be dating.
The reality star, 26, is seen covering her mouth in shock as Mr Daley, 29, lifts his hands to his head following the altercation on August 18 last year.
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Helena Duong, defending Black, who does not intend to call gold medallist Tom as a witness, summarised his statement as: “I was there. I wasn’t really looking. I didn’t see Mr Black grabbing or twisting her wrist.”
She added of the CCTV: “I’ve watched that footage and slowed it down but it’s quite clear, in my submission, that you can’t see the wrist being grabbed.”
Ms Edwardes, who starred in last year’s series of Big Proud Party Agency, was said to be “aggressive” during the clash at Freedom bar in Soho, central London.
Black called the police over the “punch to the back of the head”, for which Ms Edwardes was cautioned in February, Westminster magistrates’ court heard.
He was due to stand trial yesterday but was released on unconditional bail until the adjourned case goes ahead on November 8.
It means Black will again have to fly more than 5,400 miles from his home in Los Angeles to deny the charge of assault by beating.
Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring allowed prosecutors more time to submit evidence after officers lost Ms Edwardes’ interview and a master recording.
He admitted it was “not the most evidentially strong case”.
Black’s lawyers argued that the charge should be dropped if prosecutors had insufficient evidence to present a case against him.
