Innocent Night Out Turns Into Trauma
What started as a normal night out in June 2012 for Phil Mason, a self-employed electrician from Preston, ended in trauma that still affects him over a decade later. While enjoying drinks with his football teammates at Applejax nightclub in Chorley, Lancashire, Phil was unexpectedly and violently attacked by actor James Cartwright—now known for his role on ITV’s Coronation Street.
Phil, then 42, was at the bar getting drinks for his team when the unprovoked incident occurred. He hadn’t spoken a word to Cartwright, nor did he even know who he was.
“I didn’t speak or have any interaction with him,” Phil recounted. “The lads came over and had their drinks and then the next thing I knew I was on the floor. I didn’t actually see it coming. I must have been knocked out.”
The Aftermath: Severe Injuries and Long-Term Consequences
Phil was rushed to the hospital, where an X-ray revealed a fractured eye socket. His left eye had “sunk” due to the force of the blow. Surgeons had to insert a mesh into the socket to lift the eye back into position and reinforce the bone. He was sent home later that day but had to wear an eye patch for two weeks to prevent infection.
“It’s only luck that meant I managed to escape without a more serious injury,” Phil said. “Any blow to the face—worst case scenario—he could have killed me, couldn’t he?”
Despite being told to rest for six weeks, Phil returned to work just two weeks later. As a £1,000-a-week self-employed electrician, he couldn’t afford to fall behind on mortgage payments.
The Legal Battle and Courtroom Proceedings
Cartwright Found Guilty of GBH
In July 2013, James Cartwright appeared at Preston Crown Court where he denied one count of grievous bodily harm (GBH). He claimed he had acted in self-defence, stating he felt “threatened” by Phil. However, CCTV footage painted a very different picture.
The footage showed Cartwright, without any provocation or communication from Phil, suddenly lashing out and striking him with a powerful punch to the face. The court rejected Cartwright’s self-defence claim, and a jury convicted him.
Judge Recorder Andrew Long was blunt in his sentencing remarks:
“You launched an attack upon him, punching him very hard in the face for little or no reason. I don’t know what possessed you to act in the way you did. You put everything you have worked for in jeopardy.”
The Sentence: Suspended Jail Time
Despite the severity of the assault, Cartwright received an 18-month custodial sentence, suspended for a year. He was also ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid community work and pay £2,000 in compensation to Phil, along with £2,000 toward prosecution costs. He was placed under supervision for 12 months.
Phil, who attended the trial and saw the violent footage firsthand, expressed his disappointment with the outcome.
“I feel he got away with it by not being sent to prison,” he said. “If an ordinary working-class person like me had done that to someone in a pub, I’d have probably been doing some jail time.”
From Courtroom to Coronation Street: ITV’s Controversial Casting
From Conviction to Screen Star
In a twist that many, including Phil, find hard to accept, Cartwright was later cast as Theo Silverton, a recurring character in ITV’s flagship soap Coronation Street. His character is involved in a dramatic same-sex relationship storyline, and he’s been featured prominently since joining the show in March.
Phil was stunned when he saw Cartwright appear on screen. “It’s sickening that a man with a violent criminal past has a starring role in one of Britain’s biggest soaps,” he said.
“ITV should look much closer at who they employ. I don’t want to see him on the telly in my living room after what he did to me and what he put me through.”
ITV’s Silence and the Public Backlash
To date, ITV has not issued a public comment on why Cartwright was cast despite his conviction for a violent assault. Phil believes the network needs to reevaluate the message it sends to viewers.
“Should this man be beamed into everyone’s front rooms as a Coronation Street character when he’s been convicted of GBH? That’s the question ITV needs to ask itself,” he said.
A spokesman for Cartwright responded to the controversy with the following statement:
“This is an incident which took place a very long time ago when James was attacked in a nightclub. Although not the instigator, James has always regretted his reaction.”
Phil, however, rejects the idea that Cartwright was not the instigator. “I saw the CCTV and it was like he was mad, saw me, and just hit me,” he said. “It was totally unprovoked. I never spoke to him. He didn’t speak to me.”
A Victim’s Lingering Trauma
Physical and Psychological Scars
The physical effects of the attack have faded somewhat, but Phil still lives with the consequences. He suffers headaches after long drives, and his eye causes pain and discomfort in cold weather. A doctor warned that a second blow to the same area could leave him permanently blind, causing him to reduce how often he plays football.
“It affected me for a long time,” Phil shared. “For the first couple of years, I was very wary of people I didn’t know. I still am. I don’t like being physically close to people. I’m a bit self-conscious.”
A Life Changed Forever
Phil lives with his son in a three-bedroom semi-detached home in Preston. The events of that night and the subsequent legal battle continue to cast a long shadow over his life.
What particularly stings is the lack of an apology. “He’s never said sorry,” Phil said. “Not once.”
He is also concerned about the implications of Cartwright’s continued television presence:
“Viewers will think he’s a bit of a charmer when in reality he attacked me for no reason and could have blinded me—or worse.”
The Actor’s Career and Rise to Fame
From BBC to West End
James Cartwright, now 40, began his acting career at just 16. He’s had an impressive run in British television and theatre, with past roles in Holby City, Doctors, and the original Downton Abbey movie. He played Morrissey in 24 Hour Party People and even voiced PC Harrison Burns in the long-running BBC Radio 4 drama The Archers.
In 2007, he won the Royal Television Society Award for Best Leading Actor for his role in Johnny Shakespeare, a BBC production about an illiterate boy learning to read.
Corrie Character Entangled in High-Drama Storyline
In Coronation Street, Cartwright’s character Theo Silverton is married to Danielle, played by Natalie Anderson. Recent episodes showed Theo stepping in to protect his on-screen daughter Millie (played by Kaitlyn Earley) after she hurled paint at a hearse owned by undertaker Todd Grimshaw—Theo’s love interest.
It’s a complicated and emotionally rich plotline, one that contrasts sharply with Cartwright’s real-life conviction.
Should Past Crimes Impact Present Opportunities?
The Ongoing Debate in the Entertainment Industry
The revelation of Cartwright’s violent past has reignited a larger debate: Should actors with serious criminal convictions be allowed to continue performing high-profile roles?
In other industries, a conviction for grievous bodily harm would likely carry significant career repercussions. Yet in entertainment, such pasts are sometimes overlooked—especially when the individual has talent and prior acclaim.
Neil Fryman, Cartwright’s defense barrister, highlighted his client’s acting achievements in court, perhaps as justification for leniency.
“He reached the dizzy heights of the National Theatre, the West End, and the Best Actor award by the Royal Television Society.”
But does career success excuse violent behavior?
Victims Deserve Accountability
For Phil Mason, the answer is clear. “I feel like the justice system let me down,” he said. “And now ITV is doing the same thing by hiring someone like that. It sends a terrible message—that if you’re talented enough, you can do whatever you want.”
Final Thoughts: A Call for Responsibility
Accountability, Transparency, and Public Trust
As the entertainment industry grapples with questions of ethics, accountability, and rehabilitation, the story of Phil Mason and James Cartwright offers a sobering reminder: actions have consequences—and those consequences don’t simply vanish with time or fame.
Phil’s experience is a cautionary tale about justice, redemption, and public responsibility. His voice serves as a critical perspective in the broader discussion around who gets to be seen as a star—and who is left to live with the aftermath.
“ITV need to decide whether having him on screen sends out the right message.”
Until then, viewers like Phil will continue to ask why a man who changed someone’s life forever with a single punch is now invited into millions of homes every week—without consequence, without apology, and without accountability.
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