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      Celtic fan who chewed off pensioner’s EAR after Rangers Old Firm clash jailed

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      A THUG who chewed a chunk off a pensioner’s ear after an Old Firm game was jailed today for two years.Alistair Mackay, 53, pounced on Steven Brown, 67, in Glasgow city centre on September 3 2023.Celtic Manager Brendan Rodgers celebrates the single-goal winCredit: AlamyAlistair Mackay, 53, pounced on Steven Brown, 67, in Glasgow city centreCredit: SpindriftRangers and Celtic had earlier played a match at Ibrox which the visitors won 0-1.Celtic fan Mackay – who had earlier watched the game in a pub – got involved in an altercation with a man in a Rangers top.This was separated by Mr Brown who was then attacked by Mackay who bit his ear during the melee.Mackay pled guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court to assaulting Mr Brown to his severe injury and permanent disfigurement.Sheriff Tom Hughes said that the matter was linked to a “lethal combination” of alcohol being taken, a man being left with his ear bitten off and “mayhem caused in the city centre.”The sheriff added: “It must be abundantly clear to sensible minded people that this was totally and utterly unacceptable and should not be tolerated in this city.“I am aware that this weekend there will be another match with people being badly injured which will cause problems for people like you turning up before a judge for a serious sentence – for what? “A football match.Most read in Football“A clear message has to go out from the courts that this conduct will not be tolerated and will be taken seriously.“The only possible way to deal with this due to the serious nature of the offence is custody.”Paul Heaton reveals co-singer is a Celtic fan Mackay was also banned from attending football matches for five years.The court earlier heard that Mackay, with two friends, had watched the game and drank in The Barras and Merchant City areas of the city.The trio were walking to Glasgow Central train station when they came across Mr Brown and his friend who were strangers.The pair heard a disturbance and saw Mackay and his friends in a physical altercation with a young man wearing a Rangers top.Mr Brown went to separate the fight and tried to pull Mackay away.Prosecutor Jenny Reid said: “Mr Brown was then involved in a struggle with Mackay and both fell to the ground.”Mr Brown did not feel any pain or pressure to his ear at this time.”However, there was no one close enough to him which would have caused the damage to his left ear.”A witness pulled Mackay off Mr Brown who was bleeding profusely from his ear.Miss Reid added: “A section of his ear appeared to be missing.”Kyogo celebrates after scoring Celtic’s goal during the matchCredit: GettyThe victim later attended hospital where he was found to have “full thickness tissue loss of his left ear from the helix to the lobe.”The wound was closed and he was released from hospital the next day.Meantime, Mackay and his friends walked to Glasgow Central station.Miss Reid said: “As he passed the Grant Arms pub, he was in possession of a piece of Mr Brown’s ear in his right hand.”Mackay, of East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire, turned himself in a month later following a media appeal.READ MORE SUN STORIESRoss Yuill, defending, told the sentencing that his client is unlikely to be in court again.Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page More

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      Shamed ace Richard Rufus told to pay back just £372,740 of £9m he scammed from family and friends

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      SHAMED footballer Richard Rufus has been told to pay back just £372,740 of the £9million he scammed from family and friends in a pyramid scheme.The ex-Charlton Athletic star, now 49, was jailed for seven-and-a-half years in 2023 after conning friends and family into investing in the fraudulent get-rich-quick plan.Rufus played for Charlton AthleticCredit: GettySouthwark Crown Court heard yesterday how Rufus had fleeced a grand total of £9,388,112.99 from his nearest and dearest.But the court ordered him to pay back just £372,740.20, with the sum representing all that he has left.Posing as a foreign exchange trader, he had urged friends to invest with him – lying that footie contacts such as Rio Ferdinand had done the same.Instead he splurged the money on a flash Bentley, Rolex and a mansion.read more on football But the once-millionaire star is now left with just £372,740.20 – which he will have to pay back to his victims.Rufus had tried to reduce the cost – insisting that he needed the money to keep up his flash lifestyle.But Judge Dafna Spiro said he was lying about how much he needed to live off.She said: “I have not found him to be a credible witness.Most read in Football“I do not agree they are reasonable expenses – perhaps the lifestyle could be considered reasonable when you’re a Premier League footballer.“I consider that he is not telling the court the truth at all.”My aunt befriended a man on a bus who forged her will & paid drug addicts to ‘witness’ it to scam my family out of £350kHe was ordered to cough up the money by March next year or face another three years behind bars.Judge Dafna went on: “I make a confiscation order –which will be paid to victims as notified to the court by the Crown.“We will be able to provide the court with a schedule of victims and how much each should be paid.“This is an application for a confiscation order in respect to Mr Rufus following his conviction for his offences in 2022.“I am satisfied that he will not be able to make that sum today so it must be paid before the 12 March 2025.”If he fails to pay off the money he will serve another three years and nine months in prison – which will run consecutively with his current sentence.During the height of his money-spinning scheme the ex-footballer also splurged £200,000 on flash cars.Thousands more were splashed on shopping and meals at top-end restaurants.Meanwhile the only legitimate income he was receiving was £850-a-month rent from his Surrey property.Rufus duped investors by claiming he could return their original capital within 14 days of them asking.He took more than £15million in total – paying some of it back to investors to prop up his con.And he carried on the scam even after his accounts were frozen by the Financial Services Agency in 2011.Charlton legend Rufus earned six England caps during his career.He played his entire career at Charlton – making 288 appearances after his debut in 1994, aged 19.READ MORE SUN STORIESHis first goal came in the side’s historic win over Sunderland in the 1998 play-off final at Wembley.Richard Rufus was jailed for seven-and-a-half years in 2023Credit: Central News More

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      Port Vale kit man, 54, ‘blackmailed club’s millionaire owner for £15k’

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      A FOOTIE club’s kit man is accused of trying to blackmail the millionaire owner.Former police hostage negotiator Duncan Whitehead, 54, allegedly threatened to release damaging information about Port Vale’s Carol Shanahan if she did not hand over £15,000.A man has been accused of trying to blackmail Port Vale owner Carol ShanahanCredit: GettyShanahan, 67, has owned the League Two club with husband Kevin since 2019. The pair turned Whitehead over to cops last October.It is unclear what he was allegedly threatening to reveal about Ms Shanahan, who made £10million founding financial technology giant Synectics Solutions in the 1990s.Whitehead appeared at North Staffordshire magistrates court last month.read more on footballHe has yet to enter a plea and will appear at Stoke-on-Trent crown court on January 5.Whitehead, of Blackpool, served as a Lancashire Constabulary cop from 1992 to 2014 but resigned to start a mental health charity.He has worked as a kit man for a string of lower league clubs and joined Port Vale two years ago. The part-time writer also works as a private ­security guard.Most read in FootballTake That’s Robbie Williams, 50, Vale’s most famous fan, was made president earlier this year — but has no role in the club’s operation.Robbie Williams to buy Port Vale Carol has ownd the club with husband Kevin since 2019Credit: Getty More

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      Who is Michael Schumacher’s former bodyguard Markus Fritsche?

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      MARKUS Fritsche is a former security officer who worked for Formula One legend Michael Schumacher. But in a sickening turn of events, Fritsche is facing legal proceedings over an alleged blackmail plot.Markus Fritsche is the former security guard for the Schumachers who allegedly plotted to blackmail the familyCredit: facebookBouncer Yilmaz Tozturkan was also accused of being involved in the schemeIn December 2013, Michale Schumacher suffered a serious head injury while skiing in the exclusive French resort of MeribelCredit: AFPWho is Markus Fritsche?Markus Fritsch was employed by the Schumacher family for eight years, including the period after Schumacher’s tragic skiing accident in December 2013.During his time working for the Schumacher family, the 53 year old had access to private and confidential information, including medical records, photographs and videos.The relationship drastically declined as Corinna was forced to let Markus go due to changes to her husband’s care plan.This allegedly turned him bitter as he started to hatch a plan to extort the Schumacher family, MailOnline reports.more on Michael SchumacherIn a shocking turn of events, Fritsche is now facing serious legal troubles.He is accused of stealing approximately 1,500 photographs and 200 videos from the Schumacher family’s home in Switzerland.Prosecutors allege that Fritsche took four USB sticks and two hard drives containing this sensitive information.Blackmail plotFritsche supposedly didn’t act alone in this alleged crime.Most read in MotorsportHe is accused of conspiring with two others: Yilmaz Tozturkan, a 53-year-old nightclub bouncer whom Fritsche has known for over 20 years, and Tozturkan’s 30-year-old son Daniel Lins.The trio allegedly hatched a plan to blackmail the Schumacher family for £12million.Their scheme involved threatening to release the stolen information on the dark web if their demands were not met.Watch as Schumacher ‘blackmailer’s’ son is DRAGGED off cam by lawyerThe blackmail attempt began on June 3, 2024, when Tozturkan allegedly made a phone call to the Schumacher family using a withheld number.When asked for proof, the conspirators sent an email a week later containing four images and their ransom demands.Arrest and legal proceedingsInstead of complying with the blackmailers’ demands, the Schumacher family contacted Swiss police.Authorities were able to trace the call, leading to the arrest of Fritsche, Tozturkan and Lins on June 19, 2024.I take responsibility for this mistake. I did this. Please tell the family I’m sorryMarkus FritscheCourt statementThe trial of the three men started on December 10, 2024 in Wuppertal, Germany.While addressing the lawyer for Schumacher’s wife Corinna during the trial, Fritsche reportedly said: “I take responsibility for this mistake. I did this. Please tell the family I’m sorry.”Speaking for the first time at Wuppertal District Court, Tozturkan said he had done nothing wrong and that it was all to help out a poor nurse.His son Daniel has accepted his role in the affair but is claiming he had no knowledge of the content being sent as part of the plot.Michael’s wife Corinna has protected protected the F1 great’s privacy sing the horrific accidentCredit: AFPFritsche and Tozturkan are charged with extortion, while Lins is accused of aiding and abetting extortion.Prosecutors are seeking at least four years in jail for the accused, though the large sum involved could result in longer sentences if they are found guilty.Privacy concernsThis case highlights the ongoing struggle the Schumacher family faces in maintaining their privacy.Since Michael’s skiing accident in 2013, the family has kept details about his condition extremely private.READ MORE SUN STORIESThis blackmail attempt is not the first time they have faced such threats — in 2017, another individual was given a suspended sentence for threatening harm to Michael’s son Mick.The stolen files allegedly include photographs, videos and medication lists, as well as Michael’s complete medical history. More

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      Mbappe rape probe is SHUT DOWN over lack of evidence weeks after Real Madrid star embroiled in ‘hotel attack’ claims

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      THE rape probe into Kylian Mbappe has been shut down by Swedish cops. A woman claimed the football superstar had raped her in his Stockholm hotel room during a night out and lodged a formal complaint in October.Swedish police launched the probe against Kylian Mbappe after a visit to Stockholm in OctoberCredit: RexThe rape probe has now been shut down after cops didn’t find enough evidence to continueCredit: GettyMbappe walking into a car while on a night out in StockholmCredit: RexBut a prosecutor said on Thursday the investigation had now closed after there was insufficient evidence to continue.Prosecutor Marina Chirakova said Mbappe had not even been “notified of suspicion of a crime.”The striker and left wing has strongly denied the claim and labelled it as “fake news”.Mbappe told French TV station Canal+ on Monday that he had never heard anything from Swedish police. Read more on footballBut, the 25-year-old said he would travel to the country if cops wanted him to.He said: “I was surprised and I still am surprised, by the way. These are things that come into your life like that, you can’t see them coming.”It’s just incomprehension. I don’t think it weighed on me in the sense that I have never considered myself involved.”Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet reported in October the French forward was being investigated by cops after a visit to Stockholm.Most read in FootballIn a post on X soon after the report, Mbappe said: “FAKE NEWS !!!! It’s becoming so predictable, just before the hearing as if by chance.”The Real Madrid player seemingly referred to a hearing in his post he was set to face over unpaid wages as he was leaving club PSG to his new team at Real Madrid.Kylian Mbappe unveiled as Real Madrid player after historic transfer as he signs contract and poses with new shirt The probe came after a secretive whirlwind trip by the star to Sweden that lasted just two days.Daily Swedish paper Expressen claims he visited the restaurant Chez Jolie and the nightclub V, hosting “exclusive private parties” there.Revellers were forced to put their phones into boxes so they couldn’t record anyone inside the clubs.Mbappe flew out of the country on a private jet, before the complaint had been made.Mbappe stayed at the Bank Hotel while in StockholmCredit: AFPMbappe hinted the probe was motivated against him by an unpaid wage claim he was pursuingCredit: RexBut the alleged victim had reportedly sought medical help at a Swedish hospital ward for rape victims and then lodged the formal complaint.Cops launched a probe into the claims with Mbappe always denying what emerged in the media. His lawyer Marie-Alix Canu-Bernard said: “The only thing I can say is that he has nothing to be ashamed of. The second is that we don’t know anything.”Bernard added: “He cannot even imagine for a second that a complaint has been filed and is directed against him.READ MORE SUN STORIES”He has nothing to accuse himself of and doesn’t even understand what it’s about.”A source close to Paris Saint-Germain told AFP it would “ignore” Mbappe’s claim that there was a link between the report in Sweden and his wage dispute with the club.Mbappe said he was never contacted by Swedish copsCredit: Rex More

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      Watch as Schumacher ‘blackmailer’s’ son is DRAGGED off cam by lawyer after saying ‘extortion plot’ was a ‘sales pitch’

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      THIS is the shocking moment the son of one of Michael Schumacher’s alleged blackmailers is dragged away by an outraged lawyer after giving a blundering interview.Footage shows the son of accused Yilmaz T, 53, clumsily call the alleged extortion plot a “sales pitch” before being pulled and shoved down a hallway.Bouncer Yilmaz T was also hired to extort £12million from Schumachar’s family, it is claimedYilmaz’s youngest son, named in German media as Noah L, was dragged away by the family’s lawyerCredit: WeltA lawyer is seen shoving Noah L away from reportersCredit: WELTFormer security guard Markus F allegedly wanted “revenge” after he was let go by Schumacher’s wife Corinna earlier this year from his job role.He took with him 1,500 images, 200 videos as well as extensive medical notes with him of the racer driver who hasn’t been seen since suffering a life-changing ski crash in 2013.Markus is accused of stealing the information and then recruiting long-term pal and local bouncer Yilmaz T, say German authorities.Yilmaz then allegedly used his son Daniel L to help him make contact with the Schumacher family before trying to extort them.read more on schumacherGerman cops have been leading investigations with the three suspects appearing at Wuppertal District Court near Dortmund this week.Yilmaz – who had known Markus for over 20 years – was allegedly promised a small commission in return for his help.During an interview outside the courtroom, Yilmaz’s youngest son and the brother of Daniel, named in German media as Noah L, was dragged away by Daniel’s lawyer.Noah was in the midst of saying various clumsy remarks on the case, telling the German broadcaster Welt: “Blackmail is when I threaten someone with violence. Most read in Motorsport”But if I go to you now and say, ‘I have something here, do you want to buy it,’ that is not blackmail.The alleged mastermind of the Michael Schumacher blackmail plot threatened to leak ‘intimate’ photos of the stricken starCredit: AFP”In my opinion it was a sales pitch – agreed with lawyers and contracts. “In my opinion it was not blackmail.”Just as he wraps up his blundering rant, he adds that the pre-trial detention of his father was “a bit excessive” before Daniel’s lawyer Hartmut Moyzio drags Noah out of frame.The outraged lawyer is then captured pulling and pushing the son down a hallway as cameras continue to follow them.The unbelievable interview came as a member of the Schumacher staff took to the stand, telling the court she has seen emails between Markus and the family revealing he wanted cash in return for the intimate photos staying private.Heike P claimed the men had images of Michael in his wheelchair and threatened to post them on the dark web.She told the court: “Emails were written in which he said if he didn’t get his pay he would go after the Schumacher family.”The staff member for the Schumachers also said she couldn’t remember the amount of money asked for in the messages.She did believe it was less than three months worth of wages the former security guard would have been on at the time.Markus has refused to say a word in court so far other than to confirm his name and address.The former security guard for the Schumacher family Markus F allegedly planned the blackmail plotCredit: FacebookMichael’s family are trying to keep secrets about his health private during the caseCredit: GettySchumacher poses in Madonna di Campiglio with his wife Corinna in 2003Credit: AFPThe intimate images are said to be a part of a 1,500 cache of secret files believed to have been stolen from the Schumacher family home.This sensitive material was uploaded onto four USB sticks and two hard drives in the days prior to Markus being let go, prosecutors say.The content included photos, videos, medication lists and even Schumacher’s patient file, BILD reported back in July.German cops plan quickly managed to thwart the plot soon after contact was first made with the Schumacher family.When the men were first hauled into court Markus’ lawyer claimed he had been asked by Corinna to digitalise copies of photos taken of her husband.This included the intimate images.However, a shocking revelation reportedly now claims that one of the hard drives which may still hold data on the F1 legend has gone missing.Authorities said they were able to track down the alleged extortionists through “technical measures”.On July 4, officers arrested Markus in his apartment in Wülfrath. They also detained Yilmaz and his son Daniel L soon after for their roles in the alleged blackmail plot.All three men were charged and are now in court for the hearing.Prosecutors are asking for the men to spend at least four years behind bars if found guilty.Schuey Blackmail Plot Speaking for the first time at Wuppertal District Court, Yilmaz T said he had done nothing wrong and that it was all to help out a poor nurse.His son Daniel has accepted his role in the affair but is claiming he had no knowledge of the content being sent as part of the plot.The 30-year-old is being charged for having supplied his father with an untraceable Gmail address.He is also accused of forwarding the illicit pictures on his dad’s behalf.Daniel said: “I didn’t see the content. My dad just said that it was a legal, normal affair, whereby there was a layer involved, and that was it for me, so I didn’t ask any more questions.“I didn’t think there was anything bad about it. He said he had photos of a person and wanted to sell them.“I didn’t ask my father what it was all about. Its my father. So I just thought, yeah, okay, and that was it.”Schumacher’s wife Corinna, 55, has already filed a motion to protect her husband during the trial.She is asking to exclude the public from the trial if the seven-time world champion’s current state of health is ever discussed.READ MORE SUN STORIESCorinna has spent over a decade crafting a close knit inner circle of people who are allowed to know about Michael’s health ever since his horrific ski accident.The F1 star hasn’t been seen or heard from since after with very little being released about his current status.What happened to Michael Schumacher?MICHAEL Schumacher’s life was hanging by a thread over 10-years-ago as medics tried desperately to keep him alive after a tragic skiing crash.The F1 legend was left with horrific brain injuries and placed into a coma for 250 days.He was given the best possible treatment as he underwent hours of tricky operations on his brain.Back in 2013, the retired seven-time world champion, and his then 14-year-old son set off on the Combe de Saulire ski run in the exclusive French resort of Meribel.Footage from his helmet camera revealed he was not travelling at excessive speed when his skis struck a rock hidden beneath the snow.He catapulted forward 11.5ft and crashed into a boulder head first that split his helmet into two and left him needing to be airlifted to hospital for two life-saving operations.At one point his family were told to brace themselves for the worst case scenario as the situation was much worse than originally believed.At the time, medics said Schumacher was likely to stay in an induced coma for at least 48 hours as his body and mind recovered.But the coma ended up lasting 250 days – more than eight months.After he woke up in June 2014, he was discharged from hospital and sent to his home in Lake Geneva to get further treatment.Since then his wife Corinna and his inner circle of friends have expertly avoided almost anything leaking out about his health status.Only small amounts of information have been released including reports that Schumacher was in a wheelchair but can react to things around him.In 2019, it was said that Schumacher was set to undergo breakthrough stem cell therapy in a bid to regenerate and rebuild his nervous system.Renowned France cardiologist Dr Philippe Menasche, who had operated on him previously, was set to carry out the treatment that would see cells from his heart go to his brain.Following the treatment at the Georges Pompidou Hospital in Paris, he was said to be “conscious”, although few other details were given about his state.Michael with his wife CorinnaCredit: EPASchumacher attends the drivers official portrait sessionCredit: Getty – Contributor More

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      Michael Schumacher plot ‘mastermind’ threatened to leak ‘intimate’ photos of stricken star to ‘get REVENGE on family’

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      THE mastermind of the Michael Schumacher blackmail plot threatened to leak “intimate” photos of the stricken star, a German court has been told.A former security guard for the Schumacher family allegedly wanted “revenge” after he was let go by wife Corinna earlier this year.The alleged mastermind of the Michael Schumacher blackmail plot threatened to leak ‘intimate’ photos of the stricken starCredit: Getty Images – GettyThe former security guard for the Schumacher family Markus F allegedly planned the blackmail plotCredit: FacebookBouncer Yilmaz T was also hired to extort £12million from Schumachar’s family, it is claimedMarkus F, 53, reportedly turned bitter following the decision and hatched a plan alongside two other men to extort the wealthy family out of millions, it has been alleged. German cops have been leading investigations with the three suspects appearing at Wuppertal District Court near Dortmund this week.A member of the Schumacher staff took to the stand as she told the court she has seen emails between Markus and the family revealing he wanted cash in return for the intimate photos staying private.Heike P claimed the men had images of Michael in his wheelchair and threatened to post them on the dark web.read more in blackmail plotShe told the court: “Emails were written in which he said if he didn’t get his pay he would go after the Schumacher family.”The staff member for the Schumachers also said she couldn’t remember the amount of money asked for in the messages.She did believe it was less than three months worth of wages the former security guard would have been on at the time.Markus has refused to say a word in court so far other than to confirm his name and address.Most read in MotorsportThe intimate images are said to be a part of a 1,500 cache of secret files believed to have been stolen from the Schumacher family home.This sensitive material was uploaded onto four USB sticks and two hard drives in the days prior to Markus being let go, prosecutors say.Inside Michael Schumacher’s decade-long recovery from ‘desperately cruel’ ski crash as brother shares devastating updateThe content included photos, videos, medication lists and even Schumacher’s patient file, BILD reported back in July.Markus is accused of stealing the information and then recruiting long-term pal and local bouncer Yilmaz T, 53, say German authorities.Yilmaz then allegedly used his son Daniel L to help him make contact with the Schumacher family before trying to extort them.Police say the total figure the trio wanted was around £12million.Yilmaz – who had known Markus for over 20 years – was allegedly promised a small commission in return for his help.German cops plan quickly managed to thwart the plot soon after contact was first made with the Schumacher family.When the men were first hauled into court Markus’ lawyer claimed he had been asked by Corinna to digitalise copies of photos taken of her husband.This included the intimate images.Michael’s family are trying to keep secrets about his health private during the caseCredit: GettyHowever, a shocking revelation reportedly now claims that one of the hard drives which may still hold data on the F1 legend has gone missing.Authorities said they were able to track down the alleged extortionists through “technical measures”.On July 4, officers arrested Markus in his apartment in Wülfrath. They also detained Yilmaz and his son Daniel L soon after for their roles in the alleged blackmail plot.All three men were charged and are now in court for the hearing.Prosecutors are asking for the men to spend at least four years behind bars if found guilty.Speaking for the first time at Wuppertal District Court, Yilmaz T said he had done nothing wrong and that it was all to help out a poor nurse.I didn’t think there was anything bad about it. He said he had photos of a person and wanted to sell themDaniel LsuspectHis son Daniel has accepted his role in the affair but is claiming he had no knowledge of the content being sent as part of the plot. The 30-year-old is being charged for having supplied his father with an untraceable Gmail address.He is also accused of forwarding the illicit pictures on his dad’s behalf.Daniel said: “I didn’t see the content. My dad just said that it was a legal, normal affair, whereby there was a layer involved, and that was it for me, so I didn’t ask any more questions.“I didn’t think there was anything bad about it. He said he had photos of a person and wanted to sell them. “I didn’t ask my father what it was all about. Its my father. So I just thought, yeah, okay, and that was it.”Schumacher’s wife Corinna, 55, has already filed a motion to protect her husband during the trial.She is asking to exclude the public from the trial if the seven-time world champion’s current state of health is ever discussed.Corinna has spent over a decade crafting a close knit inner circle of people who are allowed to know about Michael’s health ever since his horrific ski accident. READ MORE SUN STORIESThe F1 star hasn’t been seen or heard from since after with very little being released about his current status. What happened to Michael Schumacher?MICHAEL Schumacher’s life was hanging by a thread over 10-years-ago as medics tried desperately to keep him alive after a tragic skiing crash.The F1 legend was left with horrific brain injuries and placed into a coma for 250 days.He was given the best possible treatment as he underwent hours of tricky operations on his brain.Back in 2013, the retired seven-time world champion, and his then 14-year-old son set off on the Combe de Saulire ski run in the exclusive French resort of Meribel.Footage from his helmet camera revealed he was not travelling at excessive speed when his skis struck a rock hidden beneath the snow.He catapulted forward 11.5ft and crashed into a boulder head first that split his helmet into two and left him needing to be airlifted to hospital for two life-saving operations.At one point his family were told to brace themselves for the worst case scenario as the situation was much worse than originally believed.At the time, medics said Schumacher was likely to stay in an induced coma for at least 48 hours as his body and mind recovered.But the coma ended up lasting 250 days – more than eight months.After he woke up in June 2014, he was discharged from hospital and sent to his home in Lake Geneva to get further treatment.Since then his wife Corinna and his inner circle of friends have expertly avoided almost anything leaking out about his health status.Only small amounts of information have been released including reports that Schumacher was in a wheelchair but can react to things around him.In 2019, it was said that Schumacher was set to undergo breakthrough stem cell therapy in a bid to regenerate and rebuild his nervous system.Renowned France cardiologist Dr Philippe Menasche, who had operated on him previously, was set to carry out the treatment that would see cells from his heart go to his brain.Following the treatment at the Georges Pompidou Hospital in Paris, he was said to be “conscious”, although few other details were given about his state.Michael with his wife CorinnaCredit: EPA More

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      Former Chelsea wonderkid who was ‘poached from Leeds’ that resulted in £5m out-of-court settlement wakes up unemployed

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      FORMER Chelsea ace Michael Woods has become a free agent at the age of 34 after leaving a non-league outfit.Woods burst onto the scene in 2006 when the Blues signed him from Leeds along with fellow prospect Tom Taiwo.Former Chelsea prospect Michael Woods is now a free agent at the age of 34Credit: GettyWoods spent the last few years at non-league clubsCredit: Getty – ContributorThat led to a clash between the West Londoners’ hierarchy and their former owner Ken Bates, who was the Whites’ chairman at the time.Bates accused Chelsea of making illegal approaches and even branded then owner Roman Abramovich and Co as “a bunch of shysters from Siberia”.The businessman then labelled an initial offer of £200,000 as “insulting” and called for the Premier League giants to face a points deduction, transfer ban or suspension from European competitions.Eventually, Bates accepted £5million compensation in an out-of-court settlement with Abramovich’s side.Read More on FootballHowever, neither Leeds academy graduate managed to stand out at Stamford Bridge.Taiwo retired at 29 due to injury, while Woods only managed two senior appearances during his five-year spell at Chelsea.The midfielder, though, also dealt with injury setbacks as two years into his stay he was told he may never play football again after a serious knee injury in a reserve fixture. And just ten minutes into his comeback appearance, the ex-England youth international dislocated his ankle.Most read in FootballOngoing struggles to break into the first team, with Frank Lampard and Michael Essien ahead of him in the pecking order, led to a loan stint at Notts County in 2010 and his eventual departure a year later.Woods didn’t return to action for another year when he signed with Yeovil Town in 2012.Premier League club to make history by wearing AI-generated kit designed by fans However, the central midfielder struggled to settle and went on to play for the likes of Doncaster Rovers, Harrogate Town, Hartlepool United, Dover Athletic, York City and South Shields.Eventually, Woods spent six months at Blyth Spartans in the seventh division.However, the club confirmed the player is no longer on their books with a short statement that read: “Blyth Spartans can confirm that midfielder Michael Woods has departed the club.” More