Relief for Gerrard as jury find him not guilty

July 27, 2009

England star Steven Gerrard has been cleared of affray after an incident in a Merseyside bar.

Gerrard had admitted punching 34 year old Marcus McGee but denied affray, claiming he was acting in self defence.

The incident happened on December 29^th of last year, when the Liverpool player went out drinking with friends following a 5-1 victory over Newcastle. Trouble flared up at around 2am after Mr McGee refused to change the music on the CD player. Gerrard then hit McGee after he “very quickly” got off his bar stool.

Friends proceeded to pull Gerrard away but the victim lost a tooth and suffered cuts to his face in the ensuing violence.

A jury took just over 70 minutes to find the England international not guilty and 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.”

“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.

Gerrard was quick to express his pleasure at the verdict, saying: “I’d like to put this case behind me. I’m really looking forward to the season ahead and concentrating on football,

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

The verdict will also please England boss Fabio Capello who may have been put under pressure to drop Gerrard, had he been found guilty. Former Leeds defender Jonathan Woodgate was left out of the 2002 World Cup squad after being found guilty of affray and had the same thing happened to Gerrard, it would have severely damaged England’s 2010 prospects.

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