Anger as police drop action over Gosport fraudster victim headbutt allegation

Steve Ritchie, 49, lost around £140,000 when Barry Leigh, 63, of Magennis Close, Gosport, sold plots on land he did not own or park homes.But on the day Leigh was jailed for six years, on July 31, Mr Ritchie told police he was headbutted by Leigh outside Portsmouth Crown Court.

Mr Ritchie said: ‘I’m not happy about it. In the court he was pleading remorse and saying he was sorry.

‘Yet before he went into court he headbutted me, that doesn’t fit in with him showing remorse.’

A police spokeswoman said: ‘Following a thorough investigation into this incident the decision has been taken to file this matter because the public interest test for any additional prosecution for a common assault would not be met as the suspect has just been given a significant custodial sentence. Any further penalty imposed by the court would be nominal in comparison and very unlikely to impact that sentence.’