Andrew Akingbaje, 24, pictured, was branded ‘dangerous to women’ after a vicious assault on a 21-year-old woman outside a London night club
A thug who repeatedly punched a woman in the head before dragging her along the pavement by her hair in a sickening attack assault has been jailed for more than two years.
Promising footballer Andrew Akingbaje, 24, was branded ‘dangerous to women’ at Inner London Crown Court after admitting the attack on 21-year-old Krystal Mission outside a south London nightclub in the early hours of New Year’s Day 2019.
The brutal assault was caught on camera and footage showed shocked revellers watching on as the former footballer rained down punches on Miss Mission before fleeing the scene.
The fracas kicked off due to a ‘queue-jumping’ row between Miss Mission and her friends and a group of women wearing blue wigs, who later approached Akingbaje before the assault.
Miss Mission told the court she now suffers panic attacks and says she has been too frightened to go out in London since.
Patricia May, prosecuting, told the court that Miss Mission was out for New Year’s Eve with three of her friends.
She said: ‘They were queueing up when some females distinguished by wearing blue wigs barged into the queue and then accused Krystal and her friends of having pushed in.
‘Everyone went into the club and there was no trouble in the club, but there came a time about 3am when Krystal and her friend were in the bathroom when one of the women in blue wigs came in and threatened them.
The victim was youth justice student Krystal Mission (pictured), 21, who told MailOnline she felt pain ‘everywhere’ after the attack – with her arms, legs and face swollen
Footage showed Akingbaje grab Miss Mission and assault her outside the club, pictured left and right, and drag her around by her hair
‘It’s at that point that they decided that they should go but the blue wigs group came out to them, accosted them outside the premises, and by the conclusion were apparently trying to provoke them.
‘The girls were having none of that. One went to call a cab and in the meantime the blue wigs group got into a black range rover and Krystal and her friend walked back towards the bar.
‘It was at that point when they were crossing the road when the defendant came up and punched Krystal several times causing her to fall to the ground.
‘Her friends tried to rescue her, but in the course of fending them off he hit both of them as well and then dragged Krystal along the ground.’
Ms May added: ‘It was at that stage when she managed to get up from the ground and get herself upright when somebody, who turned out to be a street warden who was mistaken for a bouncer, saw the aftermath of this, grabbed hold of her, thinking that he was protecting her.
‘It was by this stage that the defendant and the blue wigs group again came up to Krystal and it was a this time that the friend started recording on her phone.
‘While she was being held the defendant handed his mobile phone to another person then came right up to her as she was being held and punched her very viciously on the face several times.’
The attack left Miss Mission with bruises on her face and arms along with grazes in her legs.
The assault was caught on camera, pictured, and shared by Miss Mission to help identify and catch her attacker
She was taken to hospital where doctors thought she might have concussion so gave her advice before sending her home.
In a statement read by Ms May, the victim said: ‘My face took a couple of weeks to heal. It hurt to put my clothing on. For the first couple of weeks it hurt when I bathed.
‘I was upset for a week constantly. I would break down into tears. If someone brought it up to me I would get very upset and cry.
‘I would have flashbacks that mimicked him hitting me that would wake me up.
‘I had a panic attack when I went out the next time. I have not been out in London since.’
The 15 second video went viral after Miss Mission posted it to social media in a bid to trace her attacker.
Akingbaje previously pleaded guilty to one count of ABH having disputed some facts, claiming he had been provoked and spat on by the victim.
The father-of-one, from Brixton, previously played for non-league Peckham Town.
Mitigating, Bethany Condron said: ‘He accepts that there were two assaults and he accepts responsibility for them.’
Two other counts of assault by beating against two of Miss Mission’s friend were ordered to lie in file.
Sentencing Akingbaje to 32 months in prison, Judge Mark Bishop branded him a danger to women.
The violence happened outside the Lotus Club, pictured, in South West London in the early hours of New Year’s Day
The judge said Akingbaje had previously claimed he was not responsible for Miss Mission’s injuries and said she had spat at and attacked him.
Judge Bishop added: ‘You then confirmed in open court that you were pleading guilty in a full facts basis, in other words that you were not maintaining your previous plea.
‘However, in a pre-sentence report after that I read that you were maintaining to the probation officer that same version of events minimising your culpability.
‘That demonstrates a continuing lack of insight into your continuing violent behaviour towards a woman.’
Akingbaje also had previous convictions for drugs and domestic abuse and was handed an 18-month jail sentence for wounding his partner in 2017.
The judge added: ‘The writer of the pre-sentence report says that you are dangerous in the meaning of the law, there was an emerging pattern of violence – particularly towards women.
‘I’m satisfied that you do pose a serious risk, particularly towards women. You are dangerous to women, in my judgement.’