Former boxing world champion Joe Cordina was “retaliating” during a fight where he punched a man at a petrol station, a court has heard.

Cordina is standing trial charged with assault by beating relating to an incident on 27 February involving Jamie O’Brien.

Cardiff Magistrates’ Court heard the altercation came to light days later after a video was published on WalesOnline, filmed by a witness at a Texaco garage in the Pentwyn area of Cardiff.

O’Brien’s sister told police her brother “hated” Cordina, the court was told, and she feared he had “sought” him out.

A second assault by beating charge against Cordina was dropped on Tuesday. O’Brien previously admitted a charge of assault by beating.

CCTV footage of the incident “which took place over several minutes” was played to the court, showing Cordina filling up his car and walking over to O’Brien who stood on the pavement nearby.

Prosecutor Alex Orndal said O’Brien “pushed Mr Cordina with his shoulder” and Cordina then “punched him with sufficient force to push him to the ground”, where he then pushed him “repeatedly”.

“Mr Cordina has initiated the confrontation,” Orndal said, adding “Cordina was not protecting himself but retaliating”.

There was then “aggression” from O’Brien, the court heard, as Cordina raised a golf club and O’Brien lunged at him, before a number of blows were exchanged.

O’Brien was eventually restrained and “posed no further threat”, the court heard, but Cordina threw a further punch at him.

In a police interview on 11 March 2026 Cordina denied the charges against him and said he was being stared at by O’Brien, initially thinking he wanted a photo.

The former world champion explained that “having been shoved, he felt threatened” and that “he punched him later out of instinct due to Mr O’Brien’s actions”, the court heard.

He also told police that Jamie O’Brien threatened to stab him and said he would blow up his and his mother’s houses.

Cordina’s defence barrister, Tom Crowther KC, told the court O’Brien had been identified by family members from the video circulating online, who had raised concerns about his behaviour.

During the hearing Crowther asked investigating officer PC Samuel Penman to watch the video that had circulated online.

He said it was plain to see that they were “watching and waiting” for Cordina, suggesting it was a set up.

Penman said it was not obvious but he did agree that the person filming “seemingly started recording prior to any physical altercation going on”.

The court heard that when O’Brien was arrested he “argued with officers” and “challenged” them.

Penman admitted it was a “mistake” not to question O’Brien’s sister about her concerns that her brother held a “vendetta” against Cordina.

Cordina told the court that people recognised him “four or five times a day”, which was generally positive with people shaking his hand or asking for a photo.

But it was heard that a fortnight before the incident, the defendant had been told by police there was a threat to his life – something that left him shocked and “worried”.

He denied knowing O’Brien, despite the suggestion they had boxed together at some point.

Explaining why he hit O’Brien, he said: “It was just a reaction, I felt a bit threatened. I wasn’t going over to seek any trouble – I was just defending myself.”

Asked why he pushed O’Brien down afterwards and repeatedly said “don’t ever do that again”, Cordina said he was protecting himself.

The court heard a number of character witness statements in support of Cordina, including from his agent Ian Bird and Llanrumney Phoenix boxing club who called him an “outstanding role model”.

Cordina initially faced two counts of assault by beating but Judge Charlotte Murphy dismissed the second charge part-way into the trial, saying there was no case to answer.

She adjourned the hearing and will give her judgement on Tuesday 20 October.



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