Liam Smith charged with GBH with intent after alleged Manchester attack

Former world boxing champion Liam Smith has been charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent following an alleged attack on a night concierge at an apartment building in Manchester. BBC News reported that the 38-year-old boxer, from Liverpool, appeared before magistrates after his arrest and was released on bail.

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Police confirmed that Smith was arrested after a man suffered serious facial injuries at The Blade, an apartment building on Silvercroft Street in Deansgate, on 13 September. The BBC's report identified the alleged victim as the building's night concierge. It also said the man reportedly suffered fractures and needed surgery; those details were presented as reported information, rather than as the outcome of court proceedings.

Smith appeared at Manchester Magistrates Court on 14 September, the day after the alleged incident, charged with GBH with intent. His next scheduled appearance is at Manchester Crown Court on 19 October, when he is due to be asked to enter a plea. The BBC report described the charge and the forthcoming hearing, not a finding that Smith had committed the alleged offence.

The charge comes after a planned return to the ring did not go ahead earlier in September. Smith had been scheduled to face local boxer Ilaru Kujala in Finland on 4 September in a comeback fight. According to reports cited by the BBC, he withdrew a few days before the contest because of a calf injury. That planned bout preceded the date of the alleged Manchester incident.

Smith held the WBO light-middleweight world title from 2015 to 2016. Known by the nickname Beefy, he has competed against leading opponents including Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez. His championship spell and subsequent high-profile contests made him an established figure in British boxing before the latest reported legal proceedings.

Among his more recent major fights were two meetings with Chris Eubank Jr in 2023. Smith won their first contest in January, but lost the rematch eight months later. His next court appearance is now scheduled for October, with the charge awaiting the plea hearing described in the BBC's reporting.