Man jailed for strangling theatregoer had hired hitmen

Malcolm Potier, 75, has been jailed for two years after throttling a theatregoer during a performance of 'We Will Rock You' at the London Coliseum. The attack on Kirsty O'Donnell occurred on 7 June 2023.

Court proceedings and sentence

Potier was found guilty of non-fatal strangulation at Southwark Crown Court in July. He was sentenced on Thursday. The court heard that Potier pressed down on O'Donnell's neck for up to five seconds after she responded to his partner, theatre critic Lizzie Loveridge, telling her to be quiet. Loveridge had commented on audience members singing along to the musical. Potier told O'Donnell, "I'll show you what rude is," before carrying out the assault.

Victim's statement

Kirsty O'Donnell described giving evidence against Potier as difficult, citing his history of extreme violence. She told the court that confronting what had happened was worsened by learning about her attacker's past. O'Donnell stated that she was determined not to let fear dictate her actions, which was strengthened by knowing Potier's willingness to use violence.

Potier's criminal history

This latest conviction marks Potier's third prison sentence. He was previously jailed for attempting to hire hitmen to kill his former partner and her partner. In 2002, he was sentenced to six-and-a-half years in Australia for plotting to kill his child's mother, after snatching his daughter and fleeing there on a false passport. While on remand, he was again caught plotting to kill his ex-partner, leading to a 12-year sentence. He returned to the UK in 2015. Potier, formerly a wealthy landowner, once outbid Sir Mick Jagger to buy the Isle of Gigha in Scotland in 1989, though it was repossessed by Swiss bankers three years later.

Potier is now beginning his third prison sentence.