Testimony: Steven Gerrard, pictured arriving at
court this morning, denied losing control when he punched a
businessman three times in a club
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has denied that he lost
control on the night he punched a businessman three times in a bar
brawl. The England midfielder told a court he was used to being
hassled and had ways of smoothing over trouble when confronted by
people.
Gerrard, who denies affray, told Liverpool Crown Court he was
enjoying a night out on December 28 last year as he celebrated
Liverpool's 5-1 crushing defeat of Newcastle.
The Anfield star began his evening with friends at a bar in
Formby, Merseyside, then went on to the Vincent Hotel in Southport
before attending the Lounge Inn, where trouble flared.
The jury has heard that the 29-year-old estimated he was seven
out of 10 on a drunkenness scale. But he told the court today: 'I
certainly knew I had had a drink. I was certainly in control of how
I felt in my surroundings.'
Gerrard went into the witness box shortly before 11am. His
barrister, John Kelsey-Fry QC, told the jury and public gallery:
'Obviously, there is no need to give an introduction to the captain
of Liverpool Football Club.'
The QC began by explaining that the father-of-two had been in
trouble with the police before - when he was 19 he was banned from
driving for nine months for drink-driving.
Gerrard then told the court he had not been in trouble with the
law since and had never been involved in any other violent
incident.
He said he suffered 'a lot of mither (bother)', not
just in bars, but at traffic lights, shopping centres and in
restaurants.
'What sort of mither?' asked his QC.
'For example, because I am a footballer, sometimes I get
supporters coming up to me, be they Liverpool fans or Everton or
Manchester United fans, and sometimes the comments can be
derogatory or insulting. So I try to deal with it in the best way I
can.'
He added: 'I try to talk to them and smooth it over.'
The millionaire said he was given permission by the club
manageress on December 29 to choose music from a stereo Mr McGee
was operating.
'It was a small A4-sized piece of paper covered in a plastic
cover with numerous songs and then you speak to a member of staff
if you want anything on.
'I looked for the music card and picked it up. I was looking at
the music card for a couple of seconds for my songs and it was
snatched out of my hands by a guy I didn't know at that time but I
now know to be Marcus McGee.
'That's when I first spoke to Marcus McGee.'
Asked what Mr McGee said to him, Gerrard apologised to the jury
for his language before replying: 'He said to me "You are not
putting no f****** music on in here."
'I was shocked and tried to speak to him and asked him what his
problem was. I asked why I couldn't have an input in the music and
tried to explain that I had permission from the manageress.'
A CCTV image shows Gerrard's friend John Doran
striking Marcus McGee
A friend of Gerrard (circled) then appears to
restrain the midfielder while another member of their party is also
held back
Mr Kelsey-Fry asked: 'Did he explain it?' to which
Gerrard replied: 'No.'
Describing how it came to an end, the footballer said: 'He
turned away from me and wasn't really listening to what I was
trying to say and he swore at me a couple of times and we had an
argument for four or five seconds and then he walked away.
'I remember asking a member of the bar staff if they saw the
incident and what the guy's problem was, and the bar guy said he
never saw it really, but told me to forget it.'
Gerrard told the court that his friends and the manager of the
bar recognised that there was a change in his facial expression and
he explained to them what had gone on with Mr McGee.
He described how Mr McGee then walked towards the bar area of
the Lounge Inn and sat on a bar stool and he pointed him out to
friends.
Gerrard said Mr McGee was then staring at him.
Mr Kelsey-Fry asked the defendant: 'What advice did you get from
your mates?' Gerrard replied: 'Basically to ignore him and leave
it.'
Mr Kelsey-Fry then asked him: 'Did you ignore it and leave it?'
The footballer said: 'No.'
Gerrard then told the court he went over to speak to Mr
McGee.
He said: 'I couldn't understand why the guy had such a problem
with me, why he was so aggressive.
Hero: Gerrard (circled) is mobbed by fans as he
leaves court yesterday
'I was also concerned that if I did leave it I would not
have been able to enjoy my night, he may have come over to
me.
'I wanted to see why he had such a problem with it, why a total
stranger had such a problem with me putting my favourite songs
on.
'I asked Marcus what was the problem with the music machine and
why he treated me like that.
'Very quickly he came off the bar stool and was in my face right
by me.'
Gerrard said it was a heated discussion with Mr McGee and added:
'He felt I was coming over, charging over to confront him in an
aggressive way, which I didn't.
'I went over to speak to the guy and try and smooth the incident
over.'
He said that there was a lot of foul language going back and
forth between the men.
He said: 'When I first spoke to him I didn't intend to use any
bad language.'
Mr Kelsey-Fry asked Gerrard: 'Why did you deliver a blow to
Marcus McGee?'
The defendant replied: 'To defend myself.
'It was very difficult at the time to explain to police why I
did throw that first punch. We were arguing and I told the police I
felt that Marcus came towards me and that's why I raised my
arms.
'I firmly believed Marcus came towards me to hit me.'
Gerrard described raising his left arm and swinging it towards
Mr McGee and making contact with him with his wrist.
He said: 'I grabbed the back of his jumper as he moved forward
to me. When I had hold of Marcus, I remember swinging my right hand
two or three times.'
He said the incident took about four or five seconds before he
was 'pushed and pulled' away from Mr McGee.
He said he remembered people shouting in his face and saying
'Don't go back' and 'Stop'.
He said: 'I was trying to stop still and I felt I had arms all
over me. I could see a melee around Marcus McGee.
'When I was getting pulled away I realised people were patting
me, some of whom were my friends.
'I wanted to help control the situation. I was worried the fight
I had with Marcus was going to get worse because people were going
past me in that direction.'
As the fracas continued away from Gerrard, the footballer said:
'I wanted it to stop. I wanted to get as many friends as I could,
round them up and go.'
The trial continues.
