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Man Who Floored Ronnie Pickering Says He's Sorry For What He Did

Man Who Floored Ronnie Pickering Says He's Sorry For What He Did

The 29-year-old apologises for 'losing his head' but says Pickering was 'antagonising' him

Claire Reid

Claire Reid

The man who was filmed knocking Ronnie Pickering to the floor with a punch has apologised for his actions.

Twenty-nine-year-old Rob Clayton says he 'lost his head' with Pickering during the incident on Saturday evening at the Wawne Ferry pub in Hull.

In the clip, Rob can be seen throwing a punch which sends Pickering sprawling to the floor; the 57-year-old has since claimed he has suffered cracked ribs in the attack but says he won't report it to the police, because he 'no grass'.

Speaking to the The Mirror, Rob has apologised for the punch, which he says he regrets.

Hull Daily Mail

"I am a family man," he said. "I work hard, full-time, to provide for my family. I've always worked.

"I know I should have walked away that night, been the bigger man. If I see Ronnie, I will offer to shake his hand."

Rob, who works as a furniture manufacturer, has said he is not trying to make a name for himself on the back of Pickering's 'fame'.

Pickering hit headlines back in 2015 after he got into an argument with a man on a moped and asked, 'do you know who I am?' before declaring 'I'm Ronnie Pickering'.

"I don't need fame," Rob said. "I have a partner, kids, a home and a job. I don't need anything else. I've seen all the comments people have made - that it was a cheap shot.

"I've also seen messages where people have said Ronnie has had it coming to him. I don't want to go into any of that. What has happened has happened."

The clip of the incident has since gone viral, but Rob insists he wasn't even aware someone was filming. He says it's important that people know what went on between him and Pickering prior to the camera starting.

He says he popped into the pub on the spur of the moment last week, while his friend left he says he tried to chat to Pickering's partner, whose daughter goes out with one of Rob's mates.

"Ronnie then started talking to me," alleged Mr Clayton. "Like everyone else, I had seen the YouTube videos of him kicking off with the moped rider but I had never spoken to him before.

YouTube

"He started being a bit funny, saying he was going to get his son to fill me in. I said I get on well with his son, know that he isn't like that. He's a really nice lad. I played rugby with him.

"Ronnie was really antagonising me. I retaliated. I asked him what his problem was. I felt intimidated, like he was belittling me."

He says he and his friend then left the pub, but saw Pickering on the way out and claims he 'started mumbling stuff'.

"I didn't like it," he said.

"I said, 'Let's have a one on one fight'. From what I've heard about Ronnie, he is unpredictable. I was worried about what he was going to do, so I went across to him and I hit him. I lost my head."

Rob says he has 'always had a short fuse' and that he had ADHD when he was younger. Adding: "I was bullied as a kid, and I sometimes react badly if I feel I am being picked on."

Pickering is insistent that he 'didn't wind him up'.

Source: The Mirror

Featured Image Credit: Hull Daily Mail/Mirror

Topics: UK News, Weird