Steven Gerrard CCTV Dispute: Ex-Cop Faces Jail For Attempting To Blackmail Liverpool Captain
Steven Gerrard should be relieved after an ex-cop has now admitted to attempting to blackmail the Liverpool skipper.
Former Police Constable, Helen Jones, has pleaded guilty to a misconduct in a public office charge after seizing CCTV footage of a street scuffle as a “tool to blackmail” Liverpool footballer Steven Gerrard. The street scuffle involving Gerrard was confiscated by the former Police Constable while off-duty and on a career break from Merseyside Police.
Jones obtain the footage by “flashing her warrant card” to the boss of a Formby bank in August last year. The footage displayed a scuffle involving a bar brawl spilling out in to the street. Since the incident, Jones has since resigned from the Merseyside Police force and is now likely to serve time in prison. She is currently on bail until sentencing on January 9.
According to BBC News, the court heard businessman Paul Lloyd, 35, who was involved in the incident, issued Gerrard with cash demands, and claimed money had been offered by the press for the footage.
The judge described 35-year-old Mr. Lloyd from Formby, who claimed Steven Gerrard and his friends assaulted him, to be an “unimpressive witness” who “chose not to tell me the whole truth.” However, the prosecution maintains that Gerrard had not acted violently, and played the role of peacemaker throughout the incident.
Judge Stuart Baker determined that although Gerrard is captured in the footage, the Liverpool captain had done nothing unlawful.
The trial coincided with what the Liverpool skipper admits as the worst period of his life. Gerrard was culpable to handing Manchester City the Barclays Premier League title after slipping and gifting Demba Ba the decisive goal in a 2-0 defeat to Chelsea.
Gerrard then went on to captain England’s disastrous World Cup campaign before retiring from international football. The new season has not brought Gerrard much luck either, as Liverpool is now experiencing their worst start to a Premier League campaign.
Another Liverpool legend and pal, Jamie Carragher, has called for the rotation of Gerrard.
“Brendan Rodgers and his medical staff have done a superb job managing Steven’s fitness. Now they must manage the amount of matches he plays – Brendan, himself, admitted in midweek that Steven can’t play three games in a week to the level he would like. Steven will have had similar thoughts.”
It is not all doom and gloom for Steven Gerrard as the skipper will commemorate his 16th anniversary since his first Liverpool game. Gerrard is likely to start, and will be hoping that he can kick start a winning streak to propel Liverpool back up the table.
[Image via Google Images and the DailyMail]
