English lawyer Matthew Feargrieve was convicted of assault following his altercation with Ulrich Engler during the 2018 performance at London’s Royal Opera House.

He attacked the prominent German designer after he sat in an unoccupied seat next to the barrister’s wife, The Telegraph reports.

Mr Engler had asked the woman, Catherine Chandler, whether she had paid for the seat in row A, which offered a better view than his own seat in row B.

When she said she hadn’t, he swapped into it, moving her coat from the seat onto her lap — triggering Mr Feargrieve to fly into a violent rage.

A spokesperson for the Bar Standard Board (BSB) said: “Barristers have an obligation not to behave in a way which is likely to diminish the trust and confidence which the public places in them or in the profession, even when not practising.

“The tribunal’s decision shows that Mr Feargrieve’s actions leading to his conviction were a clear breach of that duty and the sanction reflects the seriousness of this breach.”