THIS is the moment Phil Foden’s mum was put in handcuffs after she was kicked out of a seaside nightclub following a booze-fuelled argument with a male clubber.
Claire Rowlands, 44, was cuffed by officers called to the scene after she was thrown out of Bentley’s nightclub on September 9 last year in Towyn, north Wales.
Rowlands, who admitted being drunk and disorderly when she appeared before magistrates in Llandudno, had downed tequila and vodka during a girl’s night out.
She kicked off after bouncers ejected her for a row sparked by her “party trick” of flicking off a man’s cap, a court heard.
After she grabbed a baseball cap from Paul Shortman, 42, and it dropped on the floor, she then swung an arm towards him and was asked to leave the venue.
Her night then took a further turn for the worse when she drunkenly clashed with cops.
The 52-second clip which was shown in court shows Claire aggressively confronting police officers who were called to the scene.
Claire says: “Go on then, what’ve I done? Don’t come into my face unless you’ve got evidence. No I will not.
“You’re coming over to me. No, he’s coming over to me.”
I do not drink often but when I do, I make up for time. I am like an animal.”
Claire Rowlands
A friend adds: “She’s coming home with me”.
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But the PC tells the woman to “stop”, adding “she’s staying with us for a minute.”
Rowlands continues: “We can walk off because we’ve done nowt wrong” while the PC adds “we need to talk to you for a minute, wait there”.
The 44-year-old then tells him: “We’ve done no criminal offence, we going, thankyou, thankyou”, as someone else can be heard saying “f*** off”.
Another PC again tells Rowlands they “need a word” before she once again refuses and takes a swig of her drink.
Another woman then screams “don’t do that, you dare start chasing my mate” as Rowlands spreads her arms out wide and asks “what’ve I done” and is surrounded by officers.
“Get off her,” adds another group member.
On Tuesday Rowlands, of Prestbury, Cheshire, was cleared of assaulting Mr Shortman but she was fined £100, with £85 prosecution costs and a £40 surcharge having previously admitted being drunk and disorderley in a public place.
During the hearing at Llandudno magistraes court, PC Stephen Gunning said she had been “stumbling with her speech slurred and her eyes glazed”.
She had been abusive to officers and body worn footage showed her shouting at them to “f*** off ” before she was placed in handcuffs and arrested.
During police interview, Rowlands admitted: “I kicked off with the police officers. I was a bit of a b***h.”
She also told cops she was “like an animal” when she had been drinking.
She said: “I do not drink often but when I do, I make up for time. I am like an animal.”
It comes as Rowlands told Llandudno magistrates’ court she had been invited to a pal’s caravan for a “respite break”.
Rowlands, wed to Phil Foden Snr, 45, told JPs caring for her disabled son was “hard work most of the time”.
As a result, two pals had treated her to a weekend in a caravan owned by the aunt of a friend.
Rowlands told the court the plan had been to “have a laugh” and “let our hair down”.
The 44-year-old said she was necking vodka and tequila shots and the group moved to Sunny’s bar in Towyn.
When this closed at 10pm they headed to the club Bentley’s upstairs.
Rowlands said: “My friends were speaking to a couple of lads.
“There was no animosity, I was drunk and enjoying myself.”
The court heard that she was asked to leave by doormen who accused her of assaulting someone.
‘It was just a bit of fun really’
A 30-second CCTV clip played for magistrates showed Rowlands knocking a baseball cap off Paul Shortman’s head before picking it up off the floor and swinging her arm in a bid to put it back on him.
Her solicitor Simon Martin asked her: “What was going through your mind?”
She replied: “I was just drunk. I was having a bit of fun. I had done it to a lad earlier. It was just a bit of fun, really.”
Mr Martin asked: “Did you have any intent to harm him?”
She replied: “No.” Mr Martin said the CCTV showed her walk across the dancefloor and pick up the cap.
“I kicked off with the police officers. I was a bit of a b***h.”
Claire Rowlands
She said: “I was just wanting to put his cap back on.”
Mr Martin said Mr Shortman ducked and the cap went on the floor again without physical contact.
Rowlands said: “I was drunk. It was just a bit of fun, a bit of banter. I just could not believe it, that I could get into trouble for knocking someone’s cap off. It’s my party trick, knocking someone’s cap off and putting it back on.”
Rowlands disagreed that her actions had been reckless.
She added: “I did not mean him any harm or to hurt him and you can see that on the video. It was just a bit of banter which has been taken the wrong way.”
DRUNK AND DISORDERLY
In his closing speech Mr Martin said: “The video speaks for itself. Yes, she knocks his cap off and it goes to the floor. It is not a criminal offence. This is not a case of someone being punched or kicked. You can see it for what it is, a storm in a tea cup.”
The court heard Mr Shortman had not attended to give evidence.
Chairman of the magistrates, Duncan Campbell, said the prosecution had not proved assault.
He added: “It is clear at the time that you were drunk, fooling around having fun. It is for the prosecution to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt and that you intended to use force.
“It is telling that Mr Shortman has not attended and that your actions were not consensual. Therefore we find you not guilty.”
She was cleared of assault by beating but fined £100 for being drunk and disorderly, with £85 costs and a £40 surcharge.
Rowlands was given 90 days to pay.
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She left court with her coat over her head, along with Phil Snr.
The couple are directors of PWF Management Ltd, named after their son’s initials, Philip Walter Foden.
SUPS ‘N DOWNS
PHIL Foden’s proud mum Claire has supported his career since his footballing talent was spotted aged four.
A Manchester City scout was alerted to Foden while he was at Bridge Hall primary in working-class Edgeley, Stockport.
But life has not all been plain sailing. In May 2021 Claire was caught in a boozy brawl which left a woman with black eyes.
Katie Skitt needed a tetanus jab after finding bite marks in Stockport.
In February 2022 Claire clashed with boxing fans after Phil was verbally abused following Kell Brook’s win over Amir Khan.
Phone footage showed her appearing to push a yob before he swung at her. Another man punched out in her defence.
Cops investigated and City said the club was appalled by the assault on Claire.
A month later she and hubby Phil Snr provoked complaints to police over loud music at their £2.85million home.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
