Banker assaulted in St. Tropez club

An American banker who lives in Paris was assaulted in a St. Tropez club after chatting up Laura Clegg (pictured), an Oxford undergrad.  Colin Hall, 35, from Chicago, was allegedly cracked over the head with a champagne bottle by John Washington, another Oxford student who is now on the run and wanted by French police.

Hall is said to have suffered serious head injuries and is still hospitalized. ""The doctors do not know if he will live," said a police spokeswoman."

We did some searching on the web, and it looks like Mr. Hall works at UBS as their Global Head of Data Management.

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Staff at the club, which is owned by the neighbouring Byblos Hotel, detained Mr Washington and called police and an ambulance.

Dan Bauer, a US friend of Mr Hall, is reported as saying that Mr Washington was questioned by officers but was released before it became apparent how serious the incident was.

Today, the police spokeswoman said that officers throughout France were on alert to try to find the student.

"All the gendarmes in France are looking for Mr Washington because of the gravity of what he allegedly did," she said. "He has not handed himself in so we are still searching for him because we believe he may be dangerous....

Ms Clegg, who was at Le Havre last night on her way home to Britain, said that the victim was a friend of hers from London, but would not speak further. The blonde student, who lives in Ravenshead, Nottinghamshire, is the social secretary of Oxford’s Law Society....

Mr Hall, originally from Chicago and living in Paris, is said to have been transferred by helicopter from hospital in St Tropez to Nice after his condition deteriorated significantly....

On the website popmusic.com, Mr Washington - who is also American - claims to be a descendant of George Washington, the first president of the US. He describes himself as the "media’s token Washington in the US" who has hosted television programmes about his famous ancestor....

Laura said: “I was talking to Colin when this man that was part of our group marched up wielding a champagne bottle. Then in a flash he swung it and it hit Colin, who fell to the floor and passed out.”

Colin’s pal Dan Bauer, 35, said: “He is completely non-aggressive.”

University websites describe first year law student Laura, from Nottingham, as “one of the fittest girls at Oxford”. A pal, who asked not to be named, said: “She’s really popular with the guys.

Oxford student 'on run' after St Tropez assault - Times of London

Millionaire banker bottled - The Sun