Famed advertising man John Singleton has threatened to slash a dining companion with a broken wine glass after a pissy long-lunch took a nasty turn yesterday afternoon.
The Daily Telegraph has bought images (for a rumoured $10,000) of the fracas and made it front page news on its print edition this morning. The recipient of Singo’s aggressive overtures was long-time best friend, Fairfax Media director and Hungry Jack’s multi-millionaire, Jack Cowin.
The incident occurred at the swanky restaurant strip at Sydney’s Woolloomooloo Wharf in front of other guests that included the singer Jon Stevens, former NFL player Colin Scotts and Singo’s son Jack.
What led Singo to threaten to disembowel his fellow dining companion at the table – save for a shedload of grog – is unclear. Initial reports have said Mr Cowin had rightly goaded Singleton for drinking rosé wine and the host took it upon himself to unceremoniously whack Mr Cowin over the head with said bottle. It has been reported that the table had been drinking for the best part of three hours before the unsavoury disagreement over the meal’s wine choices turned physical.
The Tele may have bought the pictures to the fight; however, rival Fairfax this morning quoted a witness to the incident who said: “It looked like John was going after Jack. Jack was still sitting down and Singo was standing over him. We could see Jack was pushing him away. Singo really lost it, I think everyone was pretty shocked by what they saw.”
Footage shown on Channel Nine last night post-fight had Singo claiming the stoush was over a woman. However, when pressed he declines to name any names. A rather bemused Jon Stevens – who recently had charges dropped for allegedly attacking his former partner, the bikini model Jodi Meares – is seen quickly distancing himself from the comments.
Reports said following the event-filled lunch Singo and Stevens retired to a pub across the road for further drinking session where Singo “had to be propped at the bar”.
Yesterday’s ding-dong follows on from a recent trend of very rich media types threatening to kill each other in public. In May last year billionaire James Packer famously had a fistfight with Channel Nine CEO, David Gyngell which many astute judges awarded to Gyngell on points. Despite the fight, the combatant’s ugly tracksuit pants showed they too were really just men of the people.
