AssetID: 55640644
Headline: Shocking attack on Brooklyn Beckham's wedding DJ Fat Tony caught on camera
Caption: WORDS BYLINE: Millie Bowles A thug has avoided jail after knocking a celebrity DJ unconscious in a shocking attack caught on camera at a Kent gig. Mobile phone footage shows the moment Zack Bradley, 37, punched fellow disc-jockey Fat Tony to the floor at The Lido in Margate, Kent, drawing gasps from the crowd as the music cut out. The 60-year-old, who was Brooklyn Beckham’s wedding DJ, suffered fractures to his eye socket and cheekbone, spent the night in A&E and later required facial filler to correct his appearance. Bradley had already admitted grievous bodily harm but appeared at Canterbury Crown Court for a Newton hearing to decide whether he made homophobic remarks. The court heard the incident unfolded in the early hours of December 14, 2024, as Fat Tony - whose real name is Tony Marnach - was finishing his set. Bradley, who performs as Zack Le Nez, approached the booth before the set had ended, breaching what prosecutor Bridget Todd described as standard DJ “etiquette”. The court heard Fat Tony responded by saying: “What the f*** are you doing?” As the veteran DJ’s final track played, Bradley moved behind the decks with a friend to begin mixing into his own set. Tensions escalated when Fat Tony became involved in an argument with the friend, who allegedly called him a “queer ****”. Bradley claimed he believed Fat Tony was shouting at his girlfriend, who was nearby, and said this prompted his actions. Footage played to the court showed Fat Tony later returning to the booth to collect his USB stick and patting Bradley on the shoulder as he reached across him. The famous DJ, known for his work on the London club scene in the 1980s and 90s, said Bradley then called him a “stupid f****t”, to which he replied: “What did you say?” Moments later, Bradley struck him twice, knocking him unconscious. Bradley turned himself in a few days after the gig and was arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm, giving a no-comment interview to officers. In a victim impact statement read to the court, Fat Tony said: “The assault has made me feel awful - I feel shaken, violated. “I've been sober from drink and drugs for 18 years, and I live a peaceful life. “I've had to cancel six gigs because of this assault.” During cross-examination by defence lawyer Anthony James last Friday, Fat Tony accepted he may have used offensive language himself that night, telling the court: “Most probably I used the c-word - I've got it tattooed on my arm. “I use that word every other word.” Mr James also challenged the DJ over why he had not mentioned the “f****t” comment to a police officer in the ambulance, or during subsequent interviews with The Standard and on a podcast. Fat Tony dismissed the media interviews as "off-the-cuff," and regarding his time in the ambulance, he told the court: "I had just come round. I was actually, at that point in time, delirious." He also said he “didn’t touch anyone” during the altercation, and added: “I’m not a violent person - I’m a 60-year-old gay man.” Bradley, who had been arrested for another assault just two months earlier, also took the stand and said he would never use homophobic language. “A good friend told me he was homosexual four years ago,” he said “I said to him, ‘As long as you're happy, mate, I'll be there for you.’ “I’ve been brought up by gay people - my mum worked in a gay bar when I was young.” Claire Fry, founder of charity Tommy’s Rainbows Mental Health service, was called to give evidence as she had been working with Bradley while he was on bail. She told the court that she had not seen homophobic behaviour from him while she had been working with him. Ms Todd, prosecuting, said Bradley had taken cocaine that evening, which he admitted, and suggested that this may have made him angry. He replied: “It doesn’t make me angry - it makes me nervous.” Bradley claimed Fat Tony’s behaviour in the phone footage was “aggressive”. Ms Todd disagreed and said he had “no reason to punch” the victim, to which Bradley said: “I’ll accept that.” She added: “The crown submits that the defendant did use homophobic language. “The words that were heard were clearly demonstrating a homophobic hostility immediately before he struck him to the face.” Judge Edmund Fowler ruled that Bradley had indeed made the comment in question, “stupid f****t”. Bradley’s lawyer urged the judge not to send his client to prison, saying he had been working on his drug addiction and his mental health. He told the court: “Clearly, his use of cocaine is linked to his offending and he has been addressing this with probation since June last year. “He is working hard to address his addiction, address his offending and therefore there is a real prospect of rehabilitation. “He ticks all the boxes for a suspended sentence.” Bradley was sentenced to 12 months in prison, suspended for 18 months, with the judge concluding his “risk can be managed in the community”. “You have a problem controlling your temper,” Judge Fowler said. “There was no justification, and this was aggression. This was a vicious and wholly unnecessary assault.” Following the attack, Fat Tony posted pictures of his injuries - including a black eye - on Instagram, writing: “I'm absolutely gutted. I'm gutted this happened, I'm gutted that people choose violence, especially when what we try to do comes from a place of love. “I'm really sorry that I won't be seeing you tonight but we will be doing it again in the future.”
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