Man Sentenced After Headbutting Neighbor Over Football and Posting Attack on Social Media
A man who headbutted his neighbor over a football and then posted footage of the attack on social media has been sentenced at Teesside Crown Court. Mark Quinn, 57, from Redcar, North Yorkshire, knocked his victim unconscious when the father came to retrieve his son’s ball, which had accidentally landed in Quinn’s garden, according to the Mirror.
The incident, which occurred on September 3, was captured on Quinn’s Ring Doorbell camera and later went viral after Quinn shared the footage on both TikTok and Facebook, where it quickly amassed millions of views.
Prosecutor Jon Harley told the court that the incident began when the victim’s son accidentally kicked his football into Quinn’s garden. The father rang the doorbell to ask for the ball back, but Quinn responded with “a forceful headbutt to the victim’s face.” The attack left the victim unconscious on the ground. When other neighbors came to assist the injured man, Quinn made a racist remark about the victim, reported by GB News.
After the assault, Quinn shared the disturbing footage online, where it quickly gained attention. He also attempted to discredit the victim by posting false accusations on TikTok, calling the father “a pervert.” The victim’s statement, read in court, described the impact of Quinn’s actions: “In an attempt to deflect his bizarre aggressive actions, he tried to intimidate me on TikTok.”
The court also heard that Quinn and his family continued to share the video, causing the victim further distress. The victim’s sister read an emotional impact statement in court, describing the physical and emotional toll of the attack and the subsequent social media campaign: “I was thrown back several feet by this savage attack, which knocked me out,” the victim said. “Can you imagine how we felt?”
The victim also refuted Quinn’s false accusations, explaining he was “fully DBS checked.”
Quinn pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm. His defence lawyer, Tom Bennett, described the incident as “an impulsive and spontaneous offence” involving “one headbutt.” Judge Joanne Kidd remarked that Quinn “should have faced other charges” for uploading the footage online.
Quinn was sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended for two years, with 200 hours of unpaid work and 15 rehabilitation days. He must also pay £500 in compensation to his victim and £1,200 in court costs. Additionally, an indefinite restraining order was imposed, preventing Quinn from contacting his victim or sharing any videos related to the attack.