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Noel Gallagher describes onstage attack

The former  Oasis guitarist  said he felt he had been "hit by a bus" when pushed from behind by a drunk Canadian man at the Virgin Music Festival in 2008.
/ Source: Reuters

In a victim's impact statement read in Toronto court, former Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher said he felt he had been "hit by a bus" when pushed from behind at the Virgin Music Festival in 2008.

Gallagher's statement was read at a hearing for David Sullivan, 48, from Pickering, Ontario, who has pleaded guilty to causing bodily harm when he sneaked backstage at the Toronto music festival and pushed Gallagher into monitors while the band was performing.

Gallagher suffered three broken and dislodged ribs, which was apparently the result of the push and not the fall. Oasis was forced to cancel numerous shows while Gallagher recovered.

"It was as if I had been hit by a bus," he said in his victim's impact statement.

Initial reports suggested Gallagher might attend the hearing and give his statement in person, but that turned out not to be the case.

Gallagher added that he had several months of "extreme pain," and still has lingering effects from the assault.

Sullivan faces six to eight months in jail and a reported $2 million ($1.94 million U.S. dollars) civil suit because of his actions. Sullivan's lawyer argued for a conditional sentence on the charge, while the crown attorney in the case has said Sullivan's drunkenness wasn't an excuse for his actions.