Gerrard Found Not Guilty

[Subject Delta]

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has been cleared of affray after punching a man in a Merseyside bar.

The England midfielder admitted hitting Marcus McGee, 34, in the Lounge Inn, Southport, in December last year but denied the charge of affray.

A jury at Liverpool Crown Court agreed with Mr Gerrard's assertion that he was acting in self-defence.

Speaking after the hearing, the player said he had put it behind him and was looking forward to the season ahead.

Six friends of the 29-year-old footballer, of Formby, admitted charges connected with the brawl and will be sentenced on 7 August.

Mr Gerrard emerged from court to applause from waiting Liverpool fans and said he was pleased with the verdict.

"I'm glad to put this case behind me. I'm really looking forward to the season ahead and concentrating on football," he said.

"I'd like to say a big thank you to my legal team, my friends and family and everyone at Liverpool Football Club for supporting me."

Members of the jury took just over 70 minutes to find the Reds' captain not guilty.

Judge Henry Globe told him: "The verdict is a credible verdict on the full facts of this case, and you walk away from this court with your reputation intact.

"You did not start the violence, it was started by the violent elbowing of Marcus McGee in the face by one of your friends John Doran.

"At all times you insisted that you only ever acted in what you believed was reasonable self-defence to what you understandably, albeit you accept mistakenly, believed was an attempted attack upon you by Marcus McGee.

"What at first sight to the casual observer may seem to have been a clear-cut case against you of unlawful violence, has been nowhere near as clear-cut upon careful analysis of the evidence."

Liverpool manager, Rafa Benitez, who is in Singapore ahead of the team's game against the national side there on Sunday, said: "We are really pleased.

"He is very important for us and he can now focus just on football.

"We are all pleased at the club and over here at the training camp. We have been supporting him all the time and were just waiting for the decision.

"Now he can concentrate just on football and hopefully play at the same level as last year."

Mr Gerrard had been drinking with friends in the early hours of 29 December last year to celebrate Liverpool's 5-1 win over Newcastle United.

CCTV footage from the bar showed the group drinking beer, downing shots and dancing round while chanting football songs.

But the trouble flared at around 0200 GMT when Mr Gerrard wanted to change the music on the CD player, but was refused access by the man holding the control, Marcus McGee.

Pulled away

Mr Gerrard told the court he had been trying to ask Mr McGee why he had a problem with him when the businessman "very quickly" got off his bar stool.

He said he "firmly believed" he was about to be punched, and swung out in self-defence.

Mr Gerrard was quickly pulled away by friends and told the court he was "sorry about the whole incident".

The victim lost a tooth and suffered cuts to his face in the ensuing violence.

Five of Mr Gerrard's friends admitted affray.

They are Ian Gerrard Smith, 19, of Hilary Avenue; John Doran, 29, of Woodlands Road; and Paul McGrattan, 31, of Linden Drive, all Huyton; and Accrington Stanley footballers Robert Grant, 19, of Enstone Avenue, Litherland; and Ian Dunbavin, 28, of Guildford Road, Southport.

Another friend, John McGrattan, 34, of Rimmer Avenue, Huyton, admitted threatening behaviour.

The six men are due to be sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on 7 August.

Source

Gotta say I am glad this is over and done with, although it will be interesting to see what sentences his friends receive. Although I don't condone what he did, I didn't think it was in his character to attack someone unprovoked

[Miuku.]

Money money money, must be funny.. to get out of charges because you're famous.

[Konstanov]

Money money money, must be funny.. to get out of charges because you're famous.

Tell that to Michael Vick, Kiefer Sutherland, or Paris Hilton.

[Doli]

Tell that to Michael Vick, Kiefer Sutherland, or Paris Hilton.

Michael Vick didnt get off he was charged under a plea bargin.

[ibetheone]

Michael Vick didnt get off he was charged under a plea bargin.

I think you took that out of context, what he is saying is that they did get punished even though they had a ton of money.

[Subject Delta]

Money money money, must be funny.. to get out of charges because you're famous.

I believe Joey Barton would disagree with you there. Ok, he may not be as Gerrard, but he recently got sentenced to jail time. I don't believe Gerrard got away because he was famous at all, I believe he got away because what he said is the truth. I don't agree with what he did, but I don't believe it is in his character to just randomly attack someone for the hell of it.

[TheElite]

I saw the vid and it WAS NOT self-defence.

****ing liar that Gerrard.

[jonhapimp]

there charges get shortened because there famous, how long was paris in jail like two days

[Doli]

I think you took that out of context, what he is saying is that they did get punished even though they had a ton of money.

opps your right, my fault.

[Martyn]

I don't think it was self-defence either to be honest.

Although, if every fight on a Saturday night went to court there would be a ten year waiting list.

[Steven P. Administrators]

The trial was in Liverpool with Jurors from the area, what did everyone expect?

Justice wasn't done in this case and I feel sorry for the victim. Just goes to show that you can get off if you're famous enough.

[Miuku.]

I don't believe Gerrard got away because he was famous at all, I believe he got away because what he said is the truth. I don't agree with what he did, but I don't believe it is in his character to just randomly attack someone for the hell of it.

At the end of the day the only thing that matters if that he threw the first punch - if he was man enough he would've taken a sentence for it voluntarily. Unfortunately he isn't.

[Martyn]

The trial was in Liverpool with Jurors from the area, what did everyone expect?

Justice wasn't done in this case and I feel sorry for the victim. Just goes to show that you can get off if you're famous enough.

They jury was from all over, not just Liverpool.

So if it was up to you every fight that happened in the UK would make its way to court? It only went to court in the first place because it was Gerrard!

[TheElite]

It only went to court in the first place because it was Gerrard!

Not really.

The victim has the opportunity to press charges against the perpetrator. In this case charges were pressed and Gerrard was brought to court. Many people do not go to court due it being settled outside of it. Personally, I would tell everyone to take the defendent to court, it'll serve people like Gerrard right.

[Subject Delta]

At the end of the day the only thing that matters if that he threw the first punch - if he was man enough he would've taken a sentence for it voluntarily. Unfortunately he isn't.

He didn't throw the first punch, his friends did, and if he felt like he was under attack, he was within his right to defend himself. It is not illegal to pre-emptively throw a punch if you feel you are under threat.

The victim has the opportunity to press charges against the perpetrator. In this case charges were pressed and Gerrard was brought to court. Many people do not go to court due it being settled outside of it. Personally, I would tell everyone to take the defendent to court, it'll serve people like Gerrard right.

You mean people that get found innocent? I thought your religious beliefs state that only God can judge someone, so what are you doing judging him when you don't have the evidence. The jury had all the evidence and evidently they didn't think he was guilty of a crime.

[deuz]

frank .....two words....you = tunnel vision

some people would have the decency to leave the religion thread out of the sports thread...

it wasnt self defence and yeh the only only reason it went to court ...was because it was gerrard(ie he is famous, and the victim could possibly got some civil payment out of it) AND it got thrown out becuase he was gerrard ..lol

as martyn said ...if it was two average ppl i doubt one would of charged the other for a sat nite scuffle.

[Subject Delta]

it wasnt self defence and yeh the only only reason it went to court ...was because it was gerrard(ie he is famous, and the victim could possibly got some civil payment out of it) AND it got thrown out becuase he was gerrard ..lol

Really? do you have the evidence to prove that, or are you just working under the childish assumption that it is only possible that he got off because of being famous, rather than because there was actual evidence that he hadn't intended to commit a crime?

[Martyn]

Really? do you have the evidence to prove that, or are you just working under the childish assumption that it is only possible that he got off because of being famous, rather than because there was actual evidence that he hadn't intended to commit a crime?

That's the thing though Frank, the "actual evidence" ie the CCTV footage can be interpreted in a number of ways, and perhaps luckily for Liverpool Football Club it was classed as self defence. I'm a big fan of Stevie, but there was no way it was self defence in my opinion, but if it wasn't Steven Gerrard the fight would not have gone to court in the first place.

Fights like this happen all the time in Liverpool. If someone was to go to the police and press charges they would have to keep looking over their shoulder next time they were out in town.

The way is see it is that Gerrard was hammered and fancied twatting some Manc who refused to adhere to his any request on bended knee.

[Subject Delta]

That's the thing though Frank, the "actual evidence" ie the CCTV footage can be interpreted in a number of ways, and perhaps luckily for Liverpool Football Club it was classed as self defence. I'm a big fan of Stevie, but there was no way it was self defence in my opinion, but if it wasn't Steven Gerrard the fight would not have gone to court in the first place.

Fights like this happen all the time in Liverpool. If someone was to go to the police and press charges they would have to keep looking over their shoulder next time they were out in town.

The way is see it is that Gerrard was hammered and fancied twatting some Manc who refused to adhere to his any request on bended knee.

I don't see it that way, Its not really been in his nature to behave like that as well, not to mention that CCTV can only tell you what happened, not why it happened, but I guess we will never really know

[Martyn]

It's not his first run in with the police, he got done for drinking and driving when he was 19.

[deuz]

That's the thing though Frank, the "actual evidence" ie the CCTV footage can be interpreted in a number of ways, and perhaps luckily for Liverpool Football Club it was classed as self defence. I'm a big fan of Stevie, but there was no way it was self defence in my opinion, but if it wasn't Steven Gerrard the fight would not have gone to court in the first place.

Fights like this happen all the time in Liverpool. If someone was to go to the police and press charges they would have to keep looking over their shoulder next time they were out in town.

The way is see it is that Gerrard was hammered and fancied twatting some Manc who refused to adhere to his any request on bended knee.

what she said.

as you say frank without audio is hard to tell the actual premise, but thats like knowing nature/personality of gerrard, how is it you know it isn't in his nature( when he is drunk), unless you know him personally....if you do know him then i take it back.

imo he got off dam easy...even if he was coaxed...he still threw a punch...atm if he was in aus, he would be out of a club,... but thats another story....

[Subject Delta]

It's not his first run in with the police, he got done for drinking and driving when he was 19.

Yep, I will admit that is stupid, but tbh drink driving doesn't equal a violent personality :/