Northamptonshire man jailed over McDonald's metal pole attack after row about Covid mask

A Northamptonshire man who hit someone on the head with a metal pole after a row about a Covid mask has been locked up.

Conor Murphy, 29, was queuing for food at Peterborough’s Haddon Services McDonald’s at about 3.30pm on June 29, 2021, when he questioned the victim’s friend about why she wasn’t wearing a face covering.

The victim and the group he was with got their food and went to sit down but Murphy again asked why she wasn’t wearing a mask.

The victim was annoyed because his friend had had a heart bypass and was exempt.

He told Murphy, of Stamford Lane in Warmington, to leave but he went back to his car and took a metal tent pole from behind the driver’s seat.

Murphy returned to the restaurant where the group were sitting and hit the victim on the right side of his head with the tent pole.

The victim’s partner intervened and Murphy hit her on the wrist with the tent pole. Onlookers tried to restrain Murphy but he fled.

He was arrested a few days later after handing himself in.

This week at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court, sitting as a crown court, Murphy was jailed for two years and eight months having pleaded guilty to causing actual bodily harm, causing grievous bodily harm and possession of an offensive weapon.

Detective Constable Andrea Farnes said: “This was a disgusting and pointless assault on someone who was just going about their daily business.

“Murphy knew what he was doing was incredibly dangerous and he can now reflect on his stupid actions in prison.”