Entertainment For Lively Minds
Gerrard cleared of affray...
Steven Gerrard has been cleared of affray today, following a trial at Liverpool crown court. As he's been found innocent, I'll stick strictly with the facts.
After Gerrard was initially questioned by police, his solicitor said: "He understands his obligations and responsibilities and this is completely out of character and out of the blue...he is extremely remorseful for what actually happened and certainly there wasn’t any intention for events to turn out that way."
CCTV footage clearly shows one of Gerrard's friends throwing the first punch at Marcus McGee. Then, Gerrard is seen to throw three punches - something he referred to in court as: .."very difficult [at the time] to explain to police why I did throw that first punch." Gerrard was then shown on CCTV being physically restrained by his friends. He's always maintained that he was acting in self-defence. 6 of his friends have already pleaded guilty to affray.
The judge, in clearing Gerrard, said: "The verdict is a credible verdict on the full facts of this case, and you walk away from this court with your reputation intact."
Don't get me wrong, I never thought Gerrard would be convicted, nor was I particularly rooting for him to be, but anyone living in the North-West cannot fail to be amused by the news coverage
that basically gives the impression that it was Gerrard who'd been badly wronged. Hilarious.
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The quandary is
that his 5 mates pleaded guilty and only one of them seems to have been directly involved in the affair. Clearly they coudn't afford the best defence money could buy.
By way of a contrast, I saw the solicitor for that couple in Swindon who were taken to court over the "lost" lottery ticket. I can't say I'd have hired him. I want someone who looks the part, not someone who looks like a former Status Quo roadie.
I bet Joey Barton's
having a wry smile......or punching a wall.
Gerrard was innocent
I think the prosecution got it badly wrong. If they had charged Gerrard with assault and not affray he would have probably pleaded guilty. the law is dead clear on this
A person is guilty of affray if he uses or threatens unlawful violence towards another and the person's conduct is such as would cause a person of reasonable firmness present at the scene to fear for his personal safety.
Where two or more persons use or threaten the unlawful violence, it is the conduct of them taken together that must be considered for the purpose of subsection (1)
For the purposes of this section a threat cannot be made by the use of words alone.
Gerrard had a perfectly reasonable explanation for why he did what he did; its no wonder he was found innocent- what he cant explain is his continued admiration for the solo work of Phil Collins- now thats a real crime.
Although...
...in his defence, I'm rather partial to Sussudio, myself.
That's because...
...it was produced by Mic Murphy from The System: the duo who gave us this beautiful slice of 80s soul (sans Collins) Don't Disturb This Groove
Lucky lucky immature boy
Is there really such a thing as a 'beautiful slice of 80s soul'?
Gerrard would presumably like it, though, because the clothes are awful.
Guilty or not guilty, the summing up that 'his reputation is still intact' is frankly laughable.
Footballer in second-rate teams (Liverpool and England) in rubbish clothes in rubbish, tacky dive in rubbish satellite town with rubbish friends arguing with rubbish DJ ('DJ' automatically standing for rubbish) over rubbish post-60's music.
'Reputation still intact'....yeah OK!
Indeed, if football fans have anything about them (debatable) next season they'll really be rubbing in the Phil Collins connection.....I just hope Liverpool draw Barnet at Underhill.
These people sum up the sad society this country has become.
And Gerrard himself doesn't compare to Wright, Matthews, Finney, Edwards etc.
Not in the same league.....music's not as good either.
Judge & Jury got it right
MatDavies, you are spot on.
Isn't his usual method of self-defence ...
... to hurl himself to the ground when anyone gets within a metre of him and roll around clutching his shin?
No, you're thinking
of Drogba.
No, he really isn't
Stevie Me can 'simulate' with the best of them, and generally does so.
Stevie G & Amy
Juries, you have to love them.
Celebs rarely get their just desserts in court.
Perhaps justice would have been served if the trial locations for these two had been swapped?
Also, why no mention of the importance of Phil Collins to the case on TV coverage?
Frankly..
The verdict is a disgrace.
Having viewed the CCTV footage, Stevie G's defence was that he acted in self defence.
Given that his mate has just elbowed the guy in the face, I hardly think he was in mortal danger.
Regrettably I have to conclude that if you are Mr Gerrad being tried in Liverpool Crown court of all places that you can get away with anything.
I'm certain that the next similar case tried in the same court would not have the same outcome.
Liverpool Crown Court
Living, as I do, between Manchester and Liverpool, quite a few people were referring to the Gerrard outcome as 'Ken Dodd syndrome', when it comes to Scouse celebs being tried in, ahem, certain courts. We'll leave it there.
In terms of how celebs are treated by the legal system...
... this reminded me of a TV documentary some years back about the death penalty, where a high-up legal official in Texas was asked if he thought any innocent men had ever been executed. His answer has stuck with me all this time:
"Well son, I can't tell you that for sure. One thing I can tell you for sure is that no rich man has ever been executed."