Law Society’s Chivalry Ball
Warwick Castle’s splendid Great Hall - the location of an unprovoked attack at the Law Society’s Chivalry Ball
Students ran riot in Warwick Castle at the Law Society Ball last Saturday. A lawyer was attacked on the dancefloor, students were sighted out-of-bounds on the battlements, and two of the castle’s swords were stolen. Steven Smith, a law student from St John’s, had his night cut short when he was attacked on the dancefloor. He said, “I was just dancing enjoying myself. The next thing I know I was being pinned to the floor by my neck.” Lauren Halliday witnessed the assault.
She said that Smith was grappled to the ground in the unprovoked attack: “It was relentless. He was just on top of Steve with his hands around his neck �" he wasn’t letting him up.” Smith said, “There was a period when I couldn’t breathe.” Law Soc President Kate Creelman said, “It was a ball, so obviously everybody got drunk. It was exceptionally successful.” The incident happened at 12:30 in the morning. Witnesses said the attacker was an American visiting student.
At the time of going to press The Oxford Student was unable to contact the unnamed assailant. Creelman acknowledged that “a small fight was broken up by the bouncers.” But Halliday said that the attacker had to be pulled off Smith by a fellow student and that “the bouncers at the ball were completely useless”. The Chivalry Ball, billed as “sumptuous, opulent, extravagant,” took place in Warwick Castle, a stronghold built in The Dark Ages.
Students were sighted rampaging around on top of the castle battlements. Gemma Evans, a second- year lawyer, told The Oxford Student, “People were quite unruly. There were people up in the turrets. A security guard was flashing his torch up.” As the event ended a couple of students smuggled two of the castle’s swords onto a coach. Minutes before the partygoers set off back to Oxford castle staff boarded the coach and retrieved one of the swords. The other blade made it back to Oxford.
Creelman said that the swords were replicas and that the missing one was now “either on the way back to Warwick or in Warwick”. Smith said that until he was attacked it had been “a really great evening”. He added, “I’ve still got a few bumps on my head from when I was forced to the floor.” He said, “As much as you dress up a bunch of students, you are still left with a bunch of yobs.
Law Soc Treasurer Jenny Reeves stated, “The whole event was a huge success �" everyone had a fantastic time. Warwick Castle were perfectly happy.” A spokesperson for Warwick Castle declined to comment. Last term Cherwell used drug testing kits to test the toilets of Holywell’s bar during Law Soc’s ‘Champagne and Chocolate’ event. The toilets tested positive for traces of cocaine.
25th May 2006