Master tailor, 41, who worked with Armani and Dolce & Gabbana admits assaulting his girlfriend after he repeatedly smashed her head against pavement in drunken row outside five-star Mayfair hotel

• Richard Benettello, 41, allegedly attacked his girlfriend Solankhe Tchikaya, 37
• Ms Tchikaya told witnesses ‘He gets like that when he is upset’, a court heard 
• The defence said she has not supported Mr Benettello’s prosecution 
• Mr Benettello claimed that he was only guilty of ‘excessive self-defence’ 

A master tailor had to be dragged off his girlfriend as he repeatedly bashed her head on the pavement outside a luxury five-star Mayfair hotel, a court heard.

Richard Benettello, 41, claims the pair were drunk after eating and drinking at a Peruvian restaurant in London and that he was guilty of nothing more than ‘excessive self-defence.’

Mr Benettello, who has worked with Giorgio Armani, Dolce & Gabbana and Burberry, was pulled off girlfriend Solankhe Tchikaya, 37, by a security guard outside The Athenaeum, Piccadilly on May 27, last year.

He pleaded guilty at City of London Magistrates’ Court to assaulting the graduate marketing and communications specialist.

Mr Benettello, of Fulham Road, West Brompton was bailed to July 29 for a pre-sentence report on the condition he does not contact Ms Tchikaya or visit her address in Munster Road, Fulham.

Richard Benettello, 41, admitted to assaulting his girlfriend at City of London Magistrates’ Court 

Solankhe Tchikaya, 37, has not supported the prosecution and Mr Benettello’s lawyer said she ‘would have been a defence witness today if there had been a trial’ 

Prosecutor Robert Simpson told the court the couple had just dined at the nearby COYA Mayfair restaurant, leaving at half past midnight.

‘The restaurant manager Filomena Clarizio says she heard a call and thought something was happening outside the restaurant.

‘She saw the defendant and his partner and he was on top of her and she describes him hitting her head against the pavement.’

The manager gave a police statement explaining: ‘I saw the male on top. He had hold of her hair and was smashing her head on the ground and security staff came out and separated them.’

Ms Tchikaya told the witnesses: ‘He gets like that when he is upset,’ and Benettello said: ‘I did nothing.’

Mr Simpson added: ‘Security staff from The Athenaeum came out and separated the couple and the defendant was overwrought at the time and there was blood on his hand.’

The blood was Benettello’s and Ms Tchikaya suffered no visible injuries.

‘The police were called and he was arrested,’ added Mr Simpson. ‘When he was interviewed the defendant gave a prepared statement and made no further comment.

‘The complainant has not supported the prosecution at any time and did make a statement that nothing had happened and would have been a defence witness today if there had been a trial.’

However, Ms Clarizio and the security guard attended and were prepared to give evidence against Benettello.

Milad Shojaei, defending, told the court: ‘The complainant did not support this prosecution and never has.

‘He accepts there was excessive self-defence when they were intoxicated and they had a stumble.

‘He accepts he behaved excessively. The paramedics confirm there were no injuries to her head and the blood was the defendant’s.’

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