By April MacIntyre May 15, 2009, 20:58 GMT
Fans of "Snatch" actor and former British soccer player Vinnie Jones can rejoice, their favorite brawny Englishman was acquitted of assault Thursday for his role in a bar fight in downtown Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
Bullet tooth Tony Vinnie Jones - don't mention his age © Chris Hatcher / PR Photos
Jones, 44, was charged with misdemeanor assault for a fight that erupted at Wiley's Tavern.
Reported previously on Monsters and Critics, Jones was brought up on charges for punching Juan Trevino-Barrera, 24, after Barrera's friends smashed Jones face in with a beer glass and beer bottle.
Barrera, an ex felon, testified that the attack was unprovoked, but Jones' defense argued it was self defense.
The Associated Press reports from Sioux City that the actor stated he was in South Dakota as part of a pheasant hunting party. Jones was at the bar signing autographs and posing for photos with locals when he went over to a pool table and asked to join.
Jones, according to the AP report, said one of the two men at the table said, "You're Juggernaut from 'X-Men.' You're not getting in the game."
Allegedly the group got violent, spitting and throwing a glass beer mug at Jones and hitting him in the face. Jones demonstrated to jurors with a water pitcher. The other man then hit him with a beer bottle, he said.
Allegedly, according to the court transcripts, Barrera continued to taunt Jones, who asked, "Have you had enough, old man?"
Jones told the court that his decision to go after Barrera "was driven by fear."
Jones was hospitalized and received 70 stitches for his facial wounds.
The AP report noted that Barrera acknowledged under questioning that he was in contractual cahoots with a tabloid newspaper to sell his story "and would make more money from it if Jones is found guilty."
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