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    Manchester City hooligan fined for throwing flare onto pitch which landed close to goalie Ederson

    A MANCHESTER City hooligan has been fined for throwing a flare onto the pitch during the Champions League semi-final – which landed close to goalie Ederson.Bradley Holden, 24, celebrated when his team went 2-0 up against Real Madrid at the Etihad.
    Bradley Holden has been fined for throwing a flare onto the pitch at the EtihadCredit: STEVE ALLEN
    The flare landed close to goalkeepr EdersonCredit: Getty
    He was caught on CCTV later removing his top in a bid to avoid detection but was arrested at the game.
    Holden, a season ticket holder, tried to claim that he threw the flare in “panic” because he was so concerned about a fellow fan having an asthma attack.
    Miss Emily Potter, prosecuting at Manchester Magistrates’ Court, said his actions had shown “disregard” for the safety of his fellow supporters and the police sought to impose a football banning order against him.
    Holden told the court that he hadn’t lit the flare and only became aware of it after another fan pointed at it on the floor.
    Read More on Man City
    He said: “I looked down and heard an elderly male say, ‘What the…I’ve got asthma.”
    “I had a blind panic and wanted to get it away as quickly as possible.”
    He said that he had a friend who’d died from an asthma attack six years ago and he was also aware of the dangers from discussions with his primary school teacher partner
    CCTV footage revealed the flare landed near City goalie Ederson.
    Most read in Football
    Holden, who pleaded guilty to charges of throwing a missile onto a football pitch and possession of a flare at an earlier hearing, also denied trying to disguise his identity by removing his top.
    Mark Kelllett, defending, said Holden was a man of good character who had never been involved in any other incidents at football matches, and a football banning order was unnecessary.
    Read More on The Sun
    District judge Joanne Hirst agreed and said she had “taken into account the unusual circumstances” and believed Holden had shown an “instinctive reaction” on seeing the lit flare and it was clear he hadn’t brought it into the stadium.
    She handed Holden, of Hyde, Gtr Manchester, a £500 fine and ordered him to pay £85 costs and a £50 surcharge. More

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    Burton Albion star William Kokolo denies three charges of rape as he’s banned from leaving UK

    A LEAGUE One footballer denied three charges of rape today before he was banned from leaving the UK.Burton Albion star William Kokolo appeared at Birmingham Crown Court today charged with the offences which were allegedly committed against one woman on the same day.
    Burton Albion football William Kokolo has denied three charges of rapeCredit: SWNS
    Kokolo was released on conditional bail and ordered to hand over his passportCredit: Getty
    He appeared at Birmingham Crown Court todayCredit: PA
    Kokolo, 22, allegedly assaulted the woman in the Birmingham area on February 13 this year.
    The judge denied the Burton Albion defender’s application to be allowed to travel to Paris in November for his sister’s wedding and ordered Kokolo to surrender his passport.
    French-born Kokolo, who wore a navy suit, white shirt and black tie, was granted conditional bail.
    A preliminary trial date has been set for June next year with his next court appearance scheduled for March.
    Read more in UK news
    During the 19-minute hearing, the footballer only spoke when asked to confirm his name and pleas.
    Judge Paul Farrer KC said: “Williams Kokolo would you stand up please.
    “I have fixed your trial for the 5th of June next year, although enquiries will be made behind the scenes to find if it will be possible to take place some earlier time.
    “You will be back before the court on the 3rd March next year.
    Most read in Football
    “You’ve been on bail and I enlarge your bail on the following terms.
    “You must not leave the United Kingdom and your passport must be surrendered and you must not apply for travel documents.
    “If you move permanent address you must inform your solicitors.
    “If you breach any of those conditions you will be arrested.”
    Kokolo joined Burton Albion at the start of this year.
    A club statement said: “Burton Albion is fully aware of the charges that have been made against one of our players and the club has spoken to the player and his legal representatives.
    “As this is an ongoing legal process, the club is unable to make any further comment until legal proceedings are concluded.” More

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    Benjamin Mendy rape ‘victim’ says she DIDN’T have sex with Jack Grealish after claims from another woman

    A woman who claims she was raped by Benjamin Mendy has said she did not have sex with his team-mate Jack Grealish after another woman claims she did.Grealish, 27, was among partygoers at Mendy’s mansion in Cheshire last year when the 17-year-old complainant says she was attacked by Mendy, 28, and co-accused Louis Saha Matturie, 41.
    Last week it was claimed a woman who was allegedly raped by Matturie also had sex with Jack Grealish on the same night
    Manchester City footballer Benjamin Mendy denies multiple sex offences against a string of young womenCredit: PA
    Mendy’s co-accused, Louis Saha Matturie arrives at Chester Crown CourtCredit: PA
    Mendy and Matturie are on trial at Chester Crown Court where they deny multiple sex offences against a string of young women.
    Last week the court heard the 17-year-old said to police that a 23-year-old woman, who also alleges Matturie raped her, told her on the night she had sex with Grealish.
    On Monday, in further police interviews she said Matturie also mentioned to her the woman had “been together” with the former Aston Villa winger.
    Three or four of Grealish’ friends from Birmingham came to the party after she earlier arrived in a taxi which followed a Range Rover in which Grealish was a passenger, she said.
    The complainant said his friends were “quite pleasant” and “quite normal”, and there was “nothing suggestive or weird” in their conversations.
    Most read in Football
    Grealish went on to compliment her “beautiful eyes” as she entered the swimming pool at the mansion and he walked out.
    She said she replied: “Thank you.”
    Later she saw Grealish “fast asleep” in the house.
    She told detectives: “I remember him being quite drunk.”
    The woman said she had not previously met Grealish and only “knew of him just off the TV”.
    She said the footballer and his friends did not do anything that made her feel uncomfortable.
    She confirmed to police that she did not have any sexual contact with Grealish.
    The detective asked: “Have you since that night told anybody if you had any physical contact with him?”
    “No,” she replied.
    The court heard that days before the woman was invited by Saha to watch a Manchester City match from a private box.
    At the time she said she thought Saha was Mendy’s personal assistant or “some kind of entourage, a bodyguard”.
    In a text exchange with a friend, Mendy was referred to as “the worst player on the team…guy goes out too much.
    “He made us lose against Tottenham.”
    Prosecutors claim Mendy is a “predator” who “turned the pursuit of women for sex into a game”.
    Matturie, his friend and “fixer”, allegedly had the job of finding young women for sex.
    Mendy denies seven counts of rape, one count of attempted rape and one count of sexual assault against six young women.
    Matturie, of Eccles, Salford, denies six counts of rape and three counts of sexual assault relating to seven young women.
    Read More on The Sun
    Both men say, if any sex did take place with women or girls, it was consensual.
    The trial was adjourned until Tuesday morning. More

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    Mum begs FA not to let Cristiano Ronaldo ‘get away with it’ after he smashed phone from autistic boy’s hand

    THE mum of an autistic boy who had his phone smashed by Cristiano Ronaldo has pleaded with the FA not to let him ‘get away with it’. The Man United forward was filmed appearing to slap young Jacob Harding’s hand after his side were defeated by Everton at Goodison Park in April.
    Mum Sarah Kelly is urging the FA to not let Ronaldo ‘get away with it’
    It comes after the Man U forward was caught on camera slapping the phone from the boy’s hand
    Ronaldo was charged with breaching FA rules after he smashed the boy’s to the ground after losing to 1-0 to Everton.
    His mum Sarah, 37, says she’s had “six months of hell” after Ronaldo fans turned on her.
    She told the Mirror: “Let’s hope he finally gets the right punishment. He can’t keep getting away with it. His behaviour is unacceptable.”
    Ronaldo later apologised to the 14-year-old but was interviewed by police under caution in relation to an alleged assault and criminal damage last month.
    Read More on Ronaldo
    She added: “I’m being hounded by people saying I’m dragging it up again but I didn’t know anything about it.
    “He should have been dealt with six months ago. My son talks about what happened to him every day. He still hasn’t had his phone back.”
    Merseyside Police paid to have the phone repaired, but Sarah believes it should have been up to the star player.
    Sarah, of Upton, Merseyside, added: “He should have paid for that. He’s the one who caused all this.
    Most read in Football
    “It baffles me – he can assault a child and carry on as normal. How can he sleep at night knowing the distress he has caused to a young fan?”
    Sarah said Ronaldo hadn’t apologised to her or her son.
    She said: “He offered us to meet him and said he was sorry but said he had done nothing wrong. That’s not an apology, that’s an insult.”
    A Merseyside Police spokesperson said Jacob’s phone needed to be fixed while the investigation took place.
    A spokesman added: “The phone was kept until the conclusion of the investigation and will be returned shortly.”
    Ronaldo was charged with a breach of FA Rule E3 for an incident that took place after Manchester United FC’s Premier League match against Everton on Saturday 9 April 2022.
    They said: “It is alleged that the forward’s conduct after the final whistle was improper and/or violent.”
    The FA Rule E3 states “a participant shall at all times act in the best interests of the game”.
    It adds they shall not act “in any manner which is improper or brings the game into disrepute”.
    They should also not use “any one, or a combination of, violent conduct, serious foul play, threatening, abusive, indecent or insulting words or behaviour”.
    ‘DIDN’T SET AN EXAMPLE’
    Jacob’s mum, Sarah Kelly, spoke out about the incident at the time, telling how Ronaldo had phoned her to apologise.
    She said she wanted to see justice “because there hasn’t been any”.
    And her son Jacob told The Mirror: “I looked up to him but he didn’t set an example that day.”
    In a post online after the incident, Ronaldo said: “It’s never easy to deal with emotions in difficult moments such as the one we are facing. 
    “Nevertheless, we always have to be respectful, patient and set the example for all the youngsters who love the beautiful game. 
    “I would like to apologise for my outburst and, if possible, I would like to invite this supporter to watch a game at Old Trafford as a sign of fair-play and sportsmanship.”
    Read More on The Sun
    Responding to the FA charge, a spokesperson for Manchester United said: “We note the FA announcement in relation to Cristiano Ronaldo.
    “We will be supporting the player in his response to the charge.”
    Everton fan Jacob had been recording the striker’s exit from the pitch
    His phone smashed on the groundCredit: Sarah Kelly
    Jacob’s hand was also allegedly bruisedCredit: Sarah Kelly
    Ronaldo has been charged by the FA with breaching its rulesCredit: Getty More

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    Female football fans risk jail or flogging at World Cup if they are raped in Qatar

    FEMALE England fans risk jail or flogging at the World Cup if they are raped in Qatar.Women at the tournament in November face prosecution if they report offences in the Muslim country.
    Female England fans risk jail or flogging at the World Cup if they are raped in QatarCredit: Reuters
    Qatar’s strict Islamic code outlaws all sexual contact between unmarried couples — and there are 100 prosecutions a year.
    Even rape victims have been hauled into court and handed sentences ranging from seven years in jail to flogging.
    May Romanos, a Middle East expert at Amnesty International, said: “You go to the police, and instead of being the victim, you become the accused.”
    The Detained in Dubai legal aid group has an app to help World Cup fans in trouble.
    READ MORE ON QATAR
    Director Radha Stirling said: “The UAE has a long history of penalising rape victims.”
    Figures show football stadiums in the past have become sex assault hotspots at tournaments.
    There were 72 sex attacks reported in Brent, North London, when the Euro 2020 semis and finals were played at Wembley in July last year — while there were 39 cases at the same tournament in Seville, Spain.
    A Qatar spokesman said the country “promotes the rights of women, and this extends to all women visiting”.
    Most read in The Sun
    Fifa said: “Any fan who reports a sexual assault will have access to Qatar’s ­high-quality healthcare system irrespective of marital status.” More

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    Cristiano Ronaldo charged with breaching FA rules after Man Utd star smashed autistic boy’s phone on the ground

    CRISTIANO Ronaldo has been charged with breaching FA rules after he smashed an autistic boy’s phone to the ground. The Man United forward appeared to slap young Jacob Harding’s hand after his side were defeated by Everton at Goodison Park in April.
    Cristiano Ronaldo has been charged by the FA for breaching its rulesCredit: Getty
    It comes after the Man U forward was caught on camera slapping the phone from the boy’s handCredit: Not known, clear with picture desk
    Ronaldo later apologised to the 14-year-old but was interviewed by police under caution in relation to an alleged assault and criminal damage last month.
    Merseyside Police confirmed the matter had been dealt with by “matter of conditional caution”.
    But in an update today, the FA has decided to probe the incident.
    A spokesperson confirmed today: “Cristiano Ronaldo has been charged with a breach of FA Rule E3 for an incident that took place after Manchester United FC’s Premier League match against Everton on Saturday 9 April 2022.
    Read More Ronaldo stories
    “It is alleged that the forward’s conduct after the final whistle was improper and/or violent.”
    Ronaldo knocked the phone from Jacob’s hand after losing to 1-0 to Everton.
    The FA Rule E3 states “a participant shall at all times act in the best interests of the game”.
    It adds they shall not act “in any manner which is improper or brings the game into disrepute”.
    They should also not use “any one, or a combination of, violent conduct, serious foul play, threatening, abusive, indecent or insulting words or behaviour”.
    Most read in Football
    Jacob’s mum, Sarah Kelly, spoke out about the incident at the time, telling how Ronaldo had phoned her to apologise.
    She said she wanted to see justice “because there hasn’t been any”.
    And her son Jacob told The Mirror: “I looked up to him but he didn’t set an example that day.”
    In a post online after the incident, Ronaldo said: “It’s never easy to deal with emotions in difficult moments such as the one we are facing. 
    “Nevertheless, we always have to be respectful, patient and set the example for all the youngsters who love the beautiful game. 
    “I would like to apologise for my outburst and, if possible, I would like to invite this supporter to watch a game at Old Trafford as a sign of fair-play and sportsmanship.”
    Read More on The Sun
    Responding to the FA charge today, a spokesperson for Manchester United said: “We note the FA announcement in relation to Cristiano Ronaldo.
    “We will be supporting the player in his response to the charge.”
    Everton fan Jacob had been recording the striker’s exit when the incident happened
    Mum Sarah Kelly said she was left in tears after Cristiano Ronaldo called her days later More

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    England footballer Jack Grealish ‘had sex with woman the same night she was raped at party at Benjamin Mendy’s house’

    JACK Grealish had sex with a woman the same night she was raped at a party at teammate Benjamin Mendy’s house, a court heard. The England footballer is said to have slept with the 23-year-old, who was later raped by Mendy’s co-accused, Louis Saha Matturie, last August.
    England’s Jack Grealish was named during a police interviewCredit: Getty
    Manchester City footballer Benjamin Mendy arrives at Chester Crown Court where he is charged with multiple rapes and sexual assaultsCredit: Andy Kelvin / Kelvinmedia
    Mendy’s co-accused Louis Saha MatturieCredit: Andy Kelvin / Kelvinmedia
    The Manchester City players had been at China White nightclub in the city before going back to Mendy’s mansion near Prestbury, Cheshire, jurors were told.
    One, 23, said she was raped by Matturie, 41, in a car when they went to get more alcohol.
    She told a second girl, then 17, who claims Mendy raped her, she had also had sex with Grealish, the court heard.
    Both Mendy, 28, and Matturie deny multiple rape and sexual offences against a string of young women.
    READ MORE ON BENJAMIN MENDY
    Today, jurors were played a police interview from the woman accusing Mendy and Matturie of rape, in which winger Grealish, 27, was named.
    She said Mendy raped her twice at his home during the gathering, where his friends and Grealish’s pals, from Birmingham, were also present.
    The alleged victim said: “They were with Jack Grealish. There were a few girls around him but they were taking pictures and video with his friends.
    “The club did not like that. They wanted the pics to be deleted.
    Most read in The Sun
    “There was a bit of a talking to. It took a while for them to come out.”
    The teenager got a taxi with three other girls and one of Matturie’s friends to Mendy’s house, where the girls had their mobile phones taken away before going inside, the court was told.
    She said: “There were already two girls on the couch. They were sat next to Jack.”
    Matturie then led the 23-year-old woman away “hand in hand” to get more alcohol because Grealish had been “demanding vodka”, the witness told police.
    Matturie then allegedly raped the woman in the car they used to go to a shop at a local petrol station before returning to the house.
    The 17-year-old told cops: “I asked her what happened. I took her to the toilet. She’s absolutely distraught, in hysterics.
    “She just told me she had fallen asleep in the car and woke up with the feeling of him pushing inside her.”
    The teenager said she felt “uncomfortable” and did not know what to do but had no phone to call for help.
    ‘PREDATOR’ MENDY
    Later, in a lounge area, she said Mendy began “checking her out” before leading her to an office with a secure lock.
    Inside the office, Mendy allegedly raped the teenager twice.
    She told police: “We did not talk about sex beforehand and afterwards we did not talk about it.
    “There was nothing of the sort to suggest we were going to engage in sex.
    “During sex he was telling me, ‘This is not the body of a 17-year-old. This is not the arse of a 17-year-old. I want you every day’.”
    Afterwards, the teenager went looking for the other woman and found her in a lounge where she told her she had “just had sex” with Grealish.
    “I don’t know whether that was consensual or non-consensual. I don’t know what that was. But she was talking about it,” the younger woman added.
    “I know that this was after I had been with Ben, because after she had gone to bed with Ben as well.
    “She had been taken up to a room with Ben. This was a bedroom.”
    There was nothing of the sort to suggest we were going to engage in sex.
    The teenager said she was raped in a cinema room by Matturie after being raped by Mendy, and later saw Grealish “passed out”.
    She said she was raped again by Matturie at a Manchester flat on the same day.
    Prosecutors claim Mendy is a “predator” who “turned the pursuit of women for sex into a game”.
    Matturie, his friend and “fixer”, allegedly had the job of finding young women for sex.
    Mendy denies seven counts of rape, one count of attempted rape and one count of sexual assault against six young women.
    Matturie, known as Saha, of Eccles, Salford, denies six counts of rape and three counts of sexual assault relating to seven young women.
    Read More on The Sun
    Both men say if any sex did take place with women or girls it was consensual.
    The trial, now in its sixth week at Chester Crown Court, continues.
    Man City teammates Mendy and Grealish applaud fans in 2021Credit: Getty More

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    Isiah Jones’ brother charged with murder after allegedly shooting boxer, 28, in head in heated argument

    SLAIN boxer Isiah Jones’ brother has been arrested and charged with his murder following a dispute earlier this week.Timothy Lyman is accused of getting into an argument with Jones at around 6.20pm on Monday in Detroit before shooting the 28-year-old in the face and fleeing the scene.
    Isiah Jones (pictured) died of gunshot wounds earlier this week
    Tragic Isiah Jones won nine and lost seven of his 16 pro contests
    Jones was found unresponsive and was later pronounced dead.
    Lyman was arrested on Wednesday, and according to prosecutors, has been charged with one count of second-degree murder, TMZ reports.
    He has also been charged with one count of felony firearm.
    Lyman is due in court for a hearing on the case on Thursday.
    READ MORE ON BOXING
    Middleweight Jones has been described as a “great father”, who “provided for his kids”.
    Jones’ longtime boxing trainer, Roshawn Jones (no relation), told The Ring: “He was a hard worker.
    “Everyone is not perfect in life but he was a good human being.
    “He’d make you smile and laugh and was a great role model in the gym.”
    Most read in Boxing
    Jones, a National Golden Gloves winner, turned pro in 2016.
    He had a professional record of 9-7-0.
    Trainer Roshawn has set up a GoFundMe, with money going towards Jones’ funeral and kids. More