Just as the pie-throwing protester Johnnie Marbles gave Rupert Murdoch the old in/out pie face, Murdoch’s wife Wendi Deng lunged over a person to strike at Marbles. Is this not technically Battery according to English law?

Murdoch’s wife Wendi Deng (in the pink jacket) striking Jonnie Marbles like a snake.

Rupert Murdoch has had a couple of fun-filled last few weeks; surely this must be emotionally and psychologically taxing on his wife Wendi Deng. But, is the stress from the crumbling Murdoch media empire grounds enough for Deng to wantonly strike pie-thrower Johnny Marbles?

Assault or “Common Assault,” according to English law, is “committed when a person either assaults another person or commits a battery… An assault is committed when a person intentionally or recklessly causes another to apprehend the immediate infliction of unlawful force. (Archbold 19-166 and 19-172)”

English law further defines Battery as being “committed when a person intentionally and recklessly applies unlawful force to another. (Archbold 19-166a and 19-174 to 19-175).”

It seems that regardless of Jonnie Marbles’ actions, Wendi Deng committed one of the aforementioned offenses—most likely battery—since one cannot be charged for both assault and battery in English law (it’s one or the other). The Law’s the Law, folks.

And the law provides, in this case, that “Where there is a battery the defendant should be charged with ‘assault by beating.’”

If I were Mr. Jonnie Marbles’ lawyer, I would recommend the filing of Battery charges against Mr. Murdoch’s lovely, animalistic wife, if only to further humiliate Mr. Murdoch and his spouse.

It sounds rather like a Murdoch gossip rag headline, does it not? “When Billionaire Wives Attack!”

EDIT: I forgot to include the fact that Mrs. Weng shoved the foam pie back into Mr. Marble’s face, thus striking twice (whether intentional or not).