Former heavyweight world champion Herbie Hide has appeared in court accused of punching a plain clothes police officer during a confrontation at his home.<\/p>\n
The 54-year-old, once crowned WBO heavyweight champion and famed in the ring as the ‘Dancing Destroyer’, stood before Norwich Magistrates’ Court charged with assault following an incident at his gated property in Norfolk.<\/p>\n
The court heard that on July 3 last year, police officers who were not in uniform and were travelling in an unmarked car entered the property.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Prosecutors said that after one officer returned to the vehicle, he was punched in the face by Hide.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was alleged that the officer had not identified himself as a police constable.<\/p>\n
When invited to enter a plea to a single charge of assault of a constable in the execution of his duty, Hide responded: ‘definitely not guilty’.<\/p>\n
Addressing magistrates directly, the former boxer explained his account of events, saying: ‘A man who I didn’t know came into my house speaking to my children.’<\/p>\n
His legal representative, Ian Fisher, urged the court to view the incident from the defendant’s perspective.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He said: ‘Put yourselves in the shoes of any householder who might be somewhat unnerved by the presence of men who refused to say who they were or what they wanted.’<\/p>\n
![\"Former](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/105215687-15432899-image-m-3_1767525678555.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Former heavyweight world champion Herbie Hide has appeared in court accused of punching a plain clothes police officer during a confrontation at his home<\/p>\n
![\"Riddick](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/105215691-15432899-image-m-4_1767525698911.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Riddick Bowe (left) poses for the cameras with British heavyweight Herbie Hide in February 1993<\/p>\n
Hide was granted unconditional bail and will stand trial at Norwich Magistrates’ Court on December 9.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Magistrates apologised to both parties that the case could not be listed earlier, citing ongoing court backlogs.<\/p>\n
Born Herbert Okechukwu Maduagwu in Nigeria in 1971, Hide moved to Norfolk as a child and grew up in the county.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He rose to international fame in the boxing world, first winning the World Boxing Organisation heavyweight title against Michael Bentt in 1994 before reclaiming it in 1997 with a victory over Tony Tucker.<\/p>\n
One of the most dramatic moments of his career came in 1998, when he defeated American challenger Damon Reed in less than a minute – a bout widely described at the time as the fastest-ever heavyweight title fight victory.<\/p>\n
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