Former Tottenham Hotspur striker Chris Armstrong was struggling with drug addiction in the months before he attacked a worker at his local Tesco, a court heard. The 50-year-old, who made his name at Crystal Palace, caused £2,000 worth of damage to security barriers and also punched and kicked an employee in a row about a packet of cigarettes.
Armstrong admitted assault by beating and criminal damage at Westminster Magistrates’ Court last month. He avoided jail and was
handed an 18-month community order at the same court today. The sentencing hearing was told that Armstrong has been struggling with drug and alcohol dependency over the pandemic, and is currently unemployed.
It was said he acted "in anger" at being refused cigarettes because an employee working the till was on a break just after 2am, on July 18 last year.The court heard Armstrong had been drinking at the time, but it was not mentioned if he had taken any drugs.
Sentencing Armstrong, district judge Louisa Cieciora said: "In anger, as a result of being refused the opportunity to purchase some cigarettes, you caused an awful lot of damage to the store and you punched one of the workers to the face and also while he was on the floor you kicked him in the shin.
"I think you used substantial force and that puts it into the highest category. It was certainly done as a result of anger at being refused. There was an element of revenge in your actions. £2,000 is quite a lot of damage to cause."
Armstrong's ex-partner, son and daughter all wrote letters to the court in support of him, which were said to explain he was "not a violent individual". His children sat in the public gallery during the hearing.
Ms Cieciora said: "In your favour is the fact you have shown remorse and you have no recent previous convictions. I have read from your family that this truly is out of character, that you are generally a very positive influence in people's lives. As you have not been in trouble for some time I'm about persuaded this doesn't pass the threshold for custody."But she warned Armstrong:
"If you do find yourself back before me not having done the requirements of the community order or committing further offences - you are at risk of going to prison."
Armstrong was initially charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm but the Crown Prosecution Service changed it at the last hearing to a lesser charge of assault by beating. At the previous hearing, prosecutor Nathan Fuller said: “Officers were called to the Tesco after reports of an aggressive and violent man who was smashing up the store. In short he had accessed the store by forcing his way through the doors attempting to buy cigarettes.
“It had temporarily closed as staff were taking a break. When told that he couldn’t buy cigarettes he became extremely aggressive and kicked over the security scanners on the way into the shop, the standard baskets and damaged property within the store itself. It was then a store worker tried to confront him, Mr Alex Boetang, to tell him to stop and the defendant turned and punched the worker in the face with a closed fist causing him to fall to the floor.
"He then kicked him in the shin whilst on the floor. The defendant ran from the scene and was detained by officers a short while later. The main injury appears to be on his leg - there’s a graze where he was kicked on his shin.”
Mckenzie Webster, defending, said at the sentencing: “I want to express how remorseful Mr Armstrong is for his actions. He feels quite terrible for what he has done to the employee at Tesco he has frequented for the last 14 years.
“He lives nearby to the Tesco. It was extremely out of character. This incident occurred just as he was coming out of the pandemic - his drinking and drug dependency increased. He was in a period of extreme isolation.
“He is essentially living month to month at the moment.”
In March 1995, Armstrong became the first-ever Premier League player to fail a drug test after testing positive for cannabis. He returned to the game within a month after attending a brief rehab programme, finishing the season on 18 goals for Crystal Palace.
Armstrong started his career in the Welsh National League, playing for Llay Welfare before signing with Wrexham in 1989. He played for Millwall before joining Crystal Palace and was then signed by Tottenham Hotspur in 1995 for £4.5 million – the club's most expensive signing at the time.
He was called up to play for England under Kevin Keegan, but never played other than one England B international. Armstrong later played for Bolton before ending his playing career back at Wrexham. The ex-striker was previously in court back in 2016 when he admitted possession of cannabis, cocaine and ecstasy.
Armstrong, of Ifield Street, Chelsea, was given an 18-month community order with 30 days of rehabilitation activities and a six-month alcohol treatment requirement.He was also ordered to pay £180 in court costs.
