Millionaire cheat Ingram 'assaulted boy'

Ingram allegedly flew into a rage when the teenager coughed at him "for a joke" as the former army major jogged past him.

The lad initially claimed the 43-year-old grabbed him and violently rammed him against a fence.

But under cross-examination the teenager admitted he had exaggerated his story because he feared he would get in trouble for taunting the TV star.

However, the trial continued because Ingram admits grabbing the boy's lapels, which can still legally constitute assault.

John Berry, defending, told magistrates in Salisbury, Wiltshire, that the boy "concocted" the allegations after the incident.

Cross-examining him, he said: "Mr Ingram did not hit you, push you or pull you. He just held you and then went on his way. There was no injury and the incident was over very quickly.

"And at first you did not even want the police to get involved because you felt guilty about the incident."

The boy replied: "Yes. I did make it up." Ingram was jogging through the village of Urchfont, Wiltshire, when he passed a group of around six youths at around 12.30pm on April 30 last year.

The alleged victim - who cannot be named for legal reasons - stepped out into his path and coughed so loudly that spit landed in Ingram's face, it was said.

Salisbury Crown Court heard how the former major then stopped running, spun around and grabbed the boy by his shirt.

According to the prosecution, he then leaned towards the boy's face and said: "You do that again and you'll regret it."

Ingram, of Easterton, Wiltshire, admitted in a police interview shortly afterwards that he did grab the boy but denies assault, claiming he had been intimidated by the gang.

In his interview, read out to the court, Ingram said: "He's passed germs onto my face and that in my opinion in assault. It's a disgusting act.

"Everything that has gone on subsequently has been a witch hunt."

Giving evidence via video link, the boy told the court he thought coughing would be a funny joke.

"We were walking down the High Street and Mr Ingram was jogging past," he said. "I thought it would be funny if I coughed.

"Then he turned around, came back and grabbed me by the shirt around my neck and said 'if you do that again you'll regret it'.

"I was scared and shocked and did not know what to do."

Colin Meeke, prosecuting, said Ingram was wrong to remonstrate with the boy in such a manner.

He said: "The defendant had no right whatsoever to seize hold of that young man in any way shape or form.

"You find that was a battery. He has acknowledged that he did jog back and he did take hold of the the boy.

"If you find that he seized hold of that young man, then he is guilty as charged. There is no lawful reason for him to have done so."

Ingram pleads not guilty to assault and battery.

The trial - which is due to be completed this week continues.

In 2003 Ingram, his wife Diana and university lecturer Tecwen Whittock were convicted of deception for attempting to cheat on Chris Tarrant's ITV quiz show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?

Ingram used coughs from Whittock, who sat among the other contestants, to guide himself to the correct answers.

The trio were each fined £15,000, ordered to pay £10,000 costs and handed 18-month suspended jail sentences.