text: Cleared: 53-year-old Graeme Finlay, a former naval serviceman . A cruise ship passenger was yesterday cleared of beating up two elderly holidaymakers in a row over rudeness at the dinner table. Graeme Finlay, 53, went on trial after retired engineer Ron Phillips, 70, and his wife June, 69, were knocked unconscious in the incident outside their cabin on board the Thomson Celebration luxury liner. After being cleared Finlay, an ex-naval serviceman from Glasgow, said: 'It's been hell. It's put me off boats forever.' The frail couple accused Finlay of an unprovoked attack that left the grandfather with a gash to his forehead and his wife with two fractured vertebrae. But the 16-stone gas worker insisted he only acted in self-defence when hit by Mr Phillips wielding his crutch and denied attacking his wife. The jury at Teesside Crown Court took less than an hour to return unanimous not guilty verdicts to charges of unlawful wounding and inflicting grievous bodily harm. He told how he had put on five-stone by comfort eating since his arrest more than a year ago, and added: 'I'm really delighted with the verdicts and very, very relieved.' He said: 'It's been very stressful for the last year and a half. I go to church and I'm on the golf club committee, and it's been awful seeing my face in the news. 'I'm very sorry about everything that happened that night, I really am, but I told the truth in the court and I'm thankful that the jury believed me.' In his evidence, the defendant recalled how he was travelling alone on the Canary Islands cruise in January last year and felt shunned when he joined two couples – including Mr and Mrs Phillips – for dinner in the restaurant. After looking at the menu there was an 'awkward' silence and he moved to another table with a couple he had previously met. Both Finlay and the elderly couple spent the evening drinking separately and enjoying the musical entertainment. According to Finlay they later found themselves in a lift together and he rebuked the couple for their rudeness towards him at dinner. Finlay claimed Mr Phillips threw a cup of hot chocolate at him, swore and struck him with his crutch. He told the court: 'I felt myself being struck by something sharp and I put my arms over my face to defend myself, I covered my face with my arms, I didn't want my eye poked out.' Innocent: The jury at Teesside Crown Court took less than an hour to return unanimous not guilty verdicts to charges of unlawful wounding and inflicting grievous bodily harm . Cruise: Finlay went on trial after retired engineer Ron Phillips, 70, and his wife June, 69, were knocked unconscious in the incident outside their cabin on board the Thomson Celebration luxury liner (file photo) He described to the court how he swung his arms outwards from his face and felt them connect with Mr Phillips. The 'victims' insisted they had not argued with Finlay or ignored him at dinner and were subjected to a vicious assault as they headed to bed following a relaxing evening. Mrs Phillips briefly lost consciousness when she fell against a wall. In her evidence, she said: 'I saw Ron lying on the bulkhead and this great big guy going boof, boof, boof (she swung a punching motion). 'He must have hit him five times. I put my hand on his arm and told him 'leave him alone you will kill him.' Finlay was later forced to leave the ship and make his own way home. He was interviewed by police and charged.
target: Elderly couple accused Graeme Finlay of knocking them unconscious on boat .
  They claimed the attack on Thomson Celebration cruise ship was unprovoked .
  Finlay, 36, claimed he was the one being assaulted and was defended himself .
  Teesside Crown Court jury took less than an hour to give not-guilty verdicts .