Rebecca Vowles ‘burst through a toilet door at a luxury marina and launched an attack on Samantha Newby-Vincent’ court hears
A millionaire businessman’s ex-fiancee ‘burst through a toilet door at a luxury marina and launched an attack on his new girlfriend’, court hears.
Samantha Newby-Vincent, 43 and Max Walker, 54, were having drinks on the harbourside terrace to celebrate his third place finish in a boatrace.
Rebecca Vowles, 47, approached their table and launched foul-mouthed tirade at Miss Newby-Vincent, in which she called her a ‘fat c**t’, it is alleged.
Miss Newby-Vincent, 43, said Vowles later followed her into the ladies’ toilets and began shouting at her through the locked door of a cubicle.
At that moment Vowles is said to have forced the door open and punched Miss Newby-Vincent in the head, causing her a small cut.
Mr Walker, responding to a text for help sent by his Miss Newby-Vincent, rushed in and pulled his ex off his new partner, it is alleged.
Blonde Vowles denies a charge of assault by beating Miss Newby-Vincent, a marketing manager and horse rider.
After Vowles feuded with Mr Walker in 2015 she was slapped with a restraining order preventing her from going near him, a previous court hearing heard.
Mr Walker, 54, had been engaged to Vowels and proposed to her in 2009 when he had the words ‘will you marry me?’ stitched onto the sail of his 38ft yacht.
But the couple had a very acrimonious split in August 2012 and he has been with Miss Newby-Vincent since March 2018.
Magistrates heard the incident between them happened at the Salterns Marina Hotel in Poole Harbour, Dorset, after the Poole Bay 100 powerboat race on June 10 last year.
Mr Walker and Miss Newby-Vincent were at the venue that overlooks Sandbanks, for the prize-giving ceremony.
Samantha Newby-Vincent,pictured, and Max Walker, 54, were having drinks on the harbourside terrace to celebrate his third place finish in a boatrace
Poole Magistrates’ Court heard their group were enjoying drinks outside when Vowles approached them multiple times in an aggressive manner.
Nicola Peach, prosecuting, said: ‘Miss Newby-Vincent and Mr Walker were at the Salterns Marina Hotel that day and said that Miss Vowles began to shout abusively towards Miss Newby-Vincent earlier on in the evening.
‘There comes a time when Miss Newby-Vincent goes into the ladies toilet, in the cubicle, and locks the door.
‘Miss Vowles comes into the toilets, the door flies open and she is punched in the face, which causes a small cut to the left side of her temple.’
Miss Newby-Vincent told the court she had never met Vowles before, but knew she was Mr Walker’s ex.
Mr Walker, 54, pulled his ex partner of Miss Newby Vincent, court hears
She said: ‘We were sat outside with a group of friends. All I heard was Rebecca shouting very abusive words towards me.
‘My friends said ‘don’t worry Sam, we will look after you’. They made a sort of shield around me so that I couldn’t really hear what was being said.
‘I felt very scared and very nervous.
‘The first time I saw her, I went to my car to get a jacket and as I came back she came round the corner and said ‘oh there’s the fat c**t’.
‘Later we decided to have some supper. I honestly thought she had left, there was a lull in the abuse.
‘I was about to walk into the ladies toilets and out of the corner of my eye I saw her walking through the main entrance of the hotel.
‘I wasn’t sure if she saw me or not but I went straight into the cubicle and locked it for fear she would come in after me.
‘I text Max that I needed him to come get me.
‘I heard a noise outside then I heard somebody entering the toilets then my cubicle door being bashed in.
‘She hit me in the head. With the weight she pushed the door down she fell on to me at the same time and I fell over.
‘She was shouting at me but I don’t know what.
‘I think there was more than one punch, the next thing I remember she was pulled out of the toilets.
‘It was only later I realised it was Max that pulled her off me. I was very shaken and upset.
‘It was a very traumatic time, I’ve never been in any situation like that before.’
The incident happened at the Salterns Marina Hotel in Poole Harbour, Dorset
Harvey Withecombe, a court-appointed advocate for Vowles, put it to Miss Newby-Vincent that the defendant was stood by the basins and Vowles was grabbed by Mr Walker before she got close to the victim.
Miss Newby-Vincent said: ‘That’s not true at all. I was locked in a cubicle and she bashed the door down.’
The trial was adjourned and will resume on February 4.
Vowles, of Canford Cliffs, Poole, was released on bail.