A former Scottish laird has been sentenced to two years in prison for strangling a woman during a live performance of the musical "We Will Rock You" at the London Coliseum. Malcolm Potier, 75, throttled Kirsty O'Donnell, 51, on June 7, 2023, in an incident that occurred while his partner, theatre critic Lizzie Loveridge, was seated next to him.
The court heard that the altercation began when O'Donnell started singing along to the Queen songs during the show. Loveridge reportedly told O'Donnell to "shut the f**k up," to which O'Donnell replied that it was "a bit rude." Potier then leaned over his seat and strangled O'Donnell for several seconds.
Judge Dafna Spiro described Potier's behavior as "extreme and horrific" and a "wholly disproportionate response to a trivial disagreement." She noted a "common thread of dominance, control and a lack of accountability" in his actions, despite no established pattern of offending.
Potier, a qualified chartered surveyor, was identified by authorities when Loveridge left her business card at the venue. A friend of O'Donnell retrieved the card, used the critic's name to find Potier on social media, and subsequently discovered his criminal history.
O'Donnell stated in court that she developed an ongoing fear after reporting the offense and giving evidence, which led her to reduce her public profile and take precautions. She expressed a desire to send a message that "violence against women and girls affects too many people."
This incident adds to Potier's prior criminal record. He was previously jailed in Australia for attempting twice to hire a hitman to murder the mother of his child. In 1999, amid a custody battle, he abducted his two-year-old daughter and entered Australia on false passports. While in a detention center in 2002, he paid an inmate to kill his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend, but the hired assassin fled with the money. His sentence was extended in 2006 when he plotted to kill his former partner while in prison.
Potier, who once owned the Hebridean island of Gigha, purchased for £5.4 million in 1989, lost the property and an estimated £30 million fortune due to his company's collapse. He was never declared bankrupt, but his assets were seized by a Swiss bank. He appeared emotionless during his sentencing at Southwark Crown Court, where he was found guilty of non-fatal strangulation in July.