Two women arrested after Benji Webbe attack

Two Newport women have been arrested in connection with an incident which left Benji Webbe needing 24 stitches to his face and neck.

A 40-year-old has been arrested for assault (wounding with intent) and a 29-year-old has been arrested for affray and criminal damage. Both are currently on bail.

The Skindred vocalist was allegedly attacked with a glass while trying to break up an argument between a group of women outside the Crosskeys Pub in Newport city centre.

The 48-year-old says he and his partner Julie Christian were walking home from his friend’s birthday party at The Lounge nightclub in the early hours of Saturday morning when they crossed paths with the women.

He told Wales Online: “I went outside with my girlfriend, Julie, and I saw about three or four girls arguing. As we went past them I tried to calm them down and said, ‘Calm down will you,’ jokingly.

“One of the women turned to me and came within four inches of my face, screaming and shouting.”

He says the woman had fallen over and her glass had smashed and adds: “She got up and all hell broke loose. I thought she had slapped me in the face.

“The cut was about two inches from my jugular vein. At first I didn’t realise the seriousness of the damage. I could have not been here today.”

Webbe previously said on Facebook that Christian had not been physically hurt, but had been left shaken by the incident. He also admits he had to postpone his work this week.

He says: “This has left me feeling that life is short and you never know what’s coming. I have forgiven the person who did this to me and have no hatred towards them.”

Skindred released latest album Volume last October via Napalm Records and are lined up to play at this year’s Download festival.

They’re also scheduled to perform at Studio Coast in Koto, Japan, on Valentine’s Day.

Former TeamRock news desk member Christina joined our team in late 2015, and although her time working on online rock news was fairly brief, she made a huge impact by contributing close to 1500 stories. Christina also interviewed artists including Deftones frontman Chino Moreno and worked at the Download festival. In late 2016, Christina left rock journalism to pursue a career in current affairs. In 2021, she was named Local Weekly Feature Writer of the Year at the Scottish Press Awards.