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    Dani Alves will APPEAL bombshell 4.5-year prison sentence after ex-Barcelona star found guilty of raping woman in club

    FORMER Barca star Dani Alves is planning to appeal the bombshell four-and-a-half years prison sentence he was handed this morning.The Brazilian defender, 40, was found guilty of raping a woman in the toilets of the nightclub Sutton on December 30, 2022.
    Dani Alves appeared before court earlier this month and denied all the claimsCredit: Reuters
    The footballer’s lawyer Ines Guardiola said they would be appealing the sentenceCredit: Reuters
    The Brazilian defender has been sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prisonCredit: Reuters
    As well as two spells at Barcelona, Alves played for Seville, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and Sao PauloCredit: AFP
    Alves arrived at the Barcelona court this morningCredit: EPA
    The Brazilian was summoned to court at 10am local timeCredit: EPA
    He was ordered to pay £130,000 (150,000 euros) to the victim and stay away from her for nine-and-a-half-years.
    “The sentence considers that it has been proven that the victim did not consent and that there is evidence, in addition to the testimony of the plaintiff, to consider the rape proven,” the court said in a statement.
    Speaking outside the court, Alves’ lawyer Inés Guardiola said they were planning to appeal the sentence.
    She told reporters: “Four-and-a-half years is much better than nine and 12 that the accusation requested, but we are going to appeal because I still believe in Mr Alves’ innocence. 
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    “We are going to review the sentence, but I can tell you that we are going to appeal.
    “We continue to believe in the innocence of Mr Alves. He already knows the sentence and is whole.
    “We will defend his innocence to the end.”
    State prosecutors were seeking nine years while the lawyers representing Alves’s accuser wanted 12 years.
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     Following the sentence, Alves headed back to Brians 2 prison near the Catalan capital.
    In a trial held in Barcelona earlier this month, the footballer denied the allegations and said the encounter had been consensual. 
    The trial, held at Barcelona’s Audiencia Provincial Court lasted three days with the alleged victim, witnesses, and experts testifying.
    The Brazilian defender was accused of raping a woman in a Barcelona nightclub on December 30, 2022.
    He has previously confirmed he had sex with a woman in the nightclub’s toilet but insisted it was consensual.
    Alves has been held in pre-trial detention since his arrest in January 2023.
    In a brief statement, the Barcelona court said Wednesday it had “summoned all parties in the Alves case, including the defendant, to appear in court for a so-called “notification procedure”.
    His accuser told the prosecution that she had willingly entered the bathroom with him, but that he forced her to stay after she wanted to leave.
    She claims that he was aggressive with her, slapping her and insulting her, and then forced her to have sex with him.
    During the first day of the footballer’s trial a friend and cousin of his accuser claimed he also groped them in the VIP area.
    The two women claim he then invited their friend, the alleged rape victim, to follow him through a separate door after flirting with her.
    His ex-wife Joana Sanz told the court Alves “smelled of alcohol” and “he bumped into several pieces of furniture and collapsed on the bed” after arriving home the night of the assault.
    Dani Alves’ model ex Joana Sanz arrives at court to reveal what ‘drunk’ ex-Barcelona star told her moments after ‘rape’
    But she said she didn’t want to talk to him because of “the state he was in”.
    Alves has made repeated bail requests but they have all been turned down, with judges saying his alleged victim’s version of events was coherent and pointing out Alves had changed his story several times as the evidence authorities have against him has emerged.
    In an exclusive interview from his cell in Brians 2 Prison near Barcelona last June with Spanish TV he claimed: “The only person I have to ask for forgiveness is my wife, Joana Sanz.”
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    As well as two spells at Barcelona, Alves has played for Seville, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and Sao Paulo.
    He is widely considered one of the greatest full-backs of all time and became the oldest player to represent Brazil at the World Cup in December 2022 in Qatar.
    The defender was found guilty of raping a woman in the nightclub Sutton in Barcelona
    The footballer apologised to his wife Joana after the bombshell claimsCredit: AFP
    His ex-wife told the court he ‘smelled’ of alcohol after arriving home that nightTimeline of Dani Alves’ caseDecember 30, 2022: A woman alleges she was sexually assaulted in the toilets of Sutton nightclub

    January 1, 2023: Cops in Barcelona investigate an alleged sexual assault in a nightclub involving Dani Alves
    January 5, 2023: Dani Alves’ alleged victim makes a formal complaint claiming she was sexually assaulted
    CCTV footage shows Alves had been alone for 47 seconds in a toilet at the nightclub with his accuser
    January 20, 2023: Alves is remanded in custody by a judge in Barcelona
    He initially denies ever meeting his accuser but later confirms they had sex in the nightclub’s toilets – but insists was consensual
    January 31, 2023: His wife Joana Sanz, 29, demands a divorce
    February 8, 2023: It emerges that Alves is said to be receiving ‘VIP treatment’ in prison
    March 17, 2023: Alves goes on a hunger strike following split from wife
    November 14, 2023: The footballer is ordered to stand trial for the alleged assault
    November 24, 2023: Prosecutors demand nine years jail time and to pay the alleged victim  £130,000, if found guilty
    February 5, 2024: Alves appears in court in Spain facing twelve years in jail
    February 6 2024: Joana Sanz testified in court about a “drunk” phone call her husband made to her after the alleged assault
    February 7 2024: Alves tells a Spanish court the encounter was consensual More

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    Premier League star’s shock after gang take over home he owns & turn it into cannabis factory with hundreds of plants

    A CRIMINAL gang took over a Premier League star’s home and forced his tenant to let them grow cannabis.The cuckoo-plot crooks left the female occupant surrounded by hundreds of plants.
    A criminal gang took over a Premier League star’s home and forced his tenant to let them grow cannabisCredit: Getty
    The cuckoo-plot crooks left the female occupant surrounded by hundreds of plantsCredit: Getty
    But when police raided the home, the player had to prove his innocence to avoid charges.
    Police also released the tenant without charge after deciding she was set up by the gang.
    A source told The Sun: “This player owns the house in the North West as part of a buy-to-let empire.
    “Another family member manages the properties but they couldn’t believe it when cops found a large-scale cannabis farm.
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    “The plants were taken away and destroyed and the player had to show paperwork to prove that while he was the owner of the property, he had someone else living in it.”
    Under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971, production and possession of cannabis with the intent to supply is a criminal offence that can result in up to 14 years in jail.
    Landlords who fail to report suspicions of illegal activity can be liable and face the same penalty.
    Rental income could also be seized under the Proceeds of Crime Act.
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    The number of cannabis farms operating in homes is growing.
    In June, more than 1,000 were raided, with plants worth £130million seized and 1,000 suspects arrested.
    Sham estate agents was a front for brazen drug lord who raked in £11m a YEAR
    Single plants are often attributed a value of £840 in criminal trials.
    The National Police Chiefs’ Council has said: “Organised networks involved in cannabis production are also directly linked to other serious criminality such as Class A drug importation, slavery, violence and exploitation.” More

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    Ex-footballer Michael Boateng appears in court over £1m haul of crystal meth

    A FORMER professional footballer has appeared in court over the massive seizure of £1 million worth of crystal meth.Around 20 kilos of the Breaking Bad drug was found during a Valentine’s Day raid on a flat in Croydon, South London.
    Boateng, 32, previously played for Bristol RoversCredit: Wikipedia/@Oneova
    Former Crystal Palace academy player Michael Boateng, 32, was arrested and charged with possession with intent to supply a Class A drug – Methylamphetamine.”
    It was one of the biggest ever seizures of crystal meth in the UK and raises fears that the highly addictive drug is taking root here.
    Boateng appeared in custody at Croydon magistrates’ court around 11am today and spoke only to confirm his name, age, and address in southeast London.
    Mr Harris, defending, made no bail application or indication of plea ahead of Boateng’s next hearing at Croydon Crown Court on March 15.
    Crystal meth
    District Judge Dean said: “I am remanding you in custody until then.”
    Right back Boateng was on the books at Palace as a teenager between 2005 and 2007 when they were competing in the second tier Championship.
    The defender went on to play for Bristol Rovers before having spells at Bromley, Sutton United, Newport County and Whitehawk.
    After hanging up his boots in 2013, Boateng qualified as a personal trainer, with Prem stars like Manchester United’s Jadon Sancho and Spurs’s Ryan Sessegnon among his clients.
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    Police said the operation which led to his arrest “was part of ongoing work to disrupt and prevent serious violence in Croydon.”
    A Met spokesperson said: “An estimated £1 million worth of crystal meth has been seized by police after a drugs warrant was carried out at a flat in Croydon on February 14.
    “A 32-year-old man was arrested at the scene and later charged with possession with intent to supply a Class A drug.”
    The explosion of crystal meth in the US was highlighted by the drama series Breaking Bad, in which a science teacher, Walter White, begins cooking the drug to make money after learning he has terminal cancer.
    Until now, its use has not been widespread in the UK mainstream drug culture. More

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    Shock for Ryan Reynolds after cops find traces of cocaine in Wrexham’s toilets on 3 occasions

    COPS found traces of cocaine in Wrexham FC’s toilets on three occasions during their record-breaking 2022-23 season.Officers tested for the Class A drug on three matchdays, a Freedom of Information request revealed.
    COPS found traces of cocaine in the public toilets at the club which is owned by Hollywood star Ryan ReynoldsCredit: AFP
    Police launched operations to test for the Class-A drug at the Welsh club’s Racecourse Ground last yearCredit: EPA
    Cops mounted a hat-trick of operations to test for remnants of the Class-A drug at the Welsh club’s 10,700-capacity Racecourse Ground last year.
    Traces of cocaine — linked to footie violence — were found at the ground last February at games against Wealdstone Athletic and Dorking Wanderers, and two months later for the clash with Oldham Athletic.
    It comes after the 2022 Boxing Day match when a fan was caught snorting powder in the toilets.
    He admitted possessing cocaine and was fined and banned from matches for three years.
    READ MORE ON WREXHAM
    Lee Fernandes, of the UK Addiction Treatment Group, said: “Unfortunately it has become commonplace for men to associate a football game with taking cocaine and drinking alcohol.
    “Mixing cocaine use with alcohol, plus the added adrenaline from the excitement brought about by the football match can lead to bouts of aggression from fans.
    “Cocaine is a highly addictive substance that we see ruining lives every day.
    “It can go from being a social drug to something much more sinister very quickly.”
    Most read in Football
    North Wales Police were the only force to respond to the FOI request. Wrexham were approached for comment.
    A Sun investigation in December 2021 – after cocaine-fuelled violence marred England’s Euro final with Italy – found traces at the grounds of clubs including Arsenal, Man City, Spurs, and Chelsea.
    Some police forces are known to have started to use sniffer dogs outside grounds in a bid to deter fans from taking illegal drugs into the stadiums.
    Ryan Reynolds reveals ‘all kinds of weird and unexpected horrors’ after ‘incredibly stressful’ Wrexham takeover More

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    England ace Jack Grealish due in court this week after he’s caught speeding – the latest in string of driving woes

    ENGLAND footie ace Jack Grealish is due in court on a speeding charge this week — the latest in a string of driving woes.The Manchester City star’s £100,000 motor was caught on camera breaking a 30mph limit last July.
    Jack Grealish is due in court on a speeding charge this weekCredit: Cavendish
    The Manchester City star has had a string of driving offencesCredit: Getty
    The next month, he was charged with failing to give information relating to the identification of the driver in Wythall, near Birmingham.
    If convicted of speeding, the 28-year-old faces a fine based on his £300,000 weekly wage and up to six ­penalty points.
    The second offence also carries a fine and six points.
    Grealish has a chequered driving history.
    read more on jack grealish
    He got a nine-month ban and an £82,000 fine after crashing his Range Rover into two parked vehicles in 2020.
    He was also charged with speeding after clocking almost 100mph on the M42 when he was with Aston Villa.
    He pleaded guilty to careless driving and was only allowed back in a car in September 2022.
    At the time of those offences, Grealish had six points on his licence from 2018 when caught speeding on the M42.
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    His case is due to be heard by Worcestershire JPs on Thursday.
    His agent said the hearing was a “mix up” and that his partner Sasha Attwood paid the fine at the time of the speeding offence.
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    Ex-Man Utd wonderkid John Cofie who was youngest-ever million-pound footballer ‘raped woman with pal after night out’

    A FORMER Man Utd wonderkid raped a woman with his pal after a night out, a court heard today.John Cofie, 30, and friend Nathan Stuart allegedly attacked the woman when she was too drunk to consent.
    John Cofie is accused of raping a woman with a palCredit: PA:Empics Sport
    Sean McGinty, Paul Pogba, Sam Johnstone, Cofie and Jesse Lingard celebrate winning the FA Youth Cup for Man Utd in 2011Credit: Getty – Contributor
    Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court heard how she had met the pair while on a night in Altrincham in April 2019.
    She and a friend visited a few bars with Cofie and Stuart before her pal decided to go home, it was said.
    Jurors were told the alleged victim was then seen “hanging off” Cofie’s arm and “slurring her words”.
    She ended up back at Stuart’s home where she was allegedly raped by the pair.
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    The woman was picked up by her parents at around 3am after they reported her missing when she failed to return home.
    She was “incoherent” and “not mentally alert” at the time, it was said.
    The court heard she had no recollection of the events and was later told by Stuart she’d had sex with him and Cofie.
    She claims she may have been spiked as it felt “similar” to a previous experience as a teenager.
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    The “distressed” woman was taken to hospital after she began “shaking and hyperventilating”, and was told the amount she drank couldn’t explain her memory loss, nausea, vomiting and headache.
    Man Utd star Rasmus Hojlund taunts Aston Villa crowd after Scott McTominay winner
    When she told Stuart how unwell she felt, he allegedly told her: “Well, you don’t think we spiked you?”
    But when she questioned him further, he said they’d had sex and Cofie “was there as well”.
    The woman then told Stuart she wanted to carry out checks with the police, causing him to warn her: “Forget it and move on”.
    After Cofie and Stuart were arrested, they maintained she had consented to the sexual activity.
    Jurors heard officers went through the pair’s phones and discovered Stuart had messaged his footballer pal advising him to “say nada”.
    Stuart, of Northwich, Cheshire, denies two counts of rape while Cofie, of Sale, Greater Manchester, denies three counts of rape.
    Cofie became the youngest million pound footballer when he signed for Man Utd from Burnley in 2007 aged just 14.
    He played alongside Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard but left the club in 2013 when he failed to make the senior team.
    Ghanaian-born Cofie then had spells at Barnsley, Crawley Town and Wrexham.
    He also played on loan at clubs including Sheffield United and Belgian side Antwerp.
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    After hanging up his boots aged 27, he worked at a school mentoring children for a football programme.
    The trial continues.
    Cofie, pictured at a previous court hearing, denies rapeCredit: CHRIS NEILL
    Cofie had spells at 13 different clubs in his career More

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    Harry Maguire’s Greek retrial for assault and bribery shelved for over a year – and may never go ahead

    HARRY Maguire’s retrial for assault and bribery has been shelved for more than a year — and may never go ahead. The England and Manchester United centre-back was due to plead his innocence this week at a long-awaited hearing on the Greek island of Mykonos. 
    Harry Maguire’s Greek retrial for assault and bribery may never go aheadCredit: Getty
    Maguire spent two nights in a cell after an altercation on a night outCredit: The Mega Agency
    But a legal strike saw it postponed and lawyers say it will now not take place until March next year at the earliest.
    Officials are now said to be reluctant to pursue the case amid fears it has damaged the island’s reputation and harmed tourism. 
    The move to postpone the case prolongs the ordeal for the ace who has vowed to clear his name after his shock arrest in summer 2020. 
    A source said: “Harry has — and always will — contest the charges.
    READ MORE ON HARRY MAGUIRE
    “He was on holiday with friends and family and was understandably distraught. He doesn’t want this hanging over him another day but respects the Greek legal system.” 
    Maguire, 30, was held by police and spent two nights in a cell after an altercation on a night out. 
    He was hauled into court days later and his lawyers were given just two hours to prepare a case. 
    Crucial evidence was withheld from the trial and Maguire was found guilty of bodily harm, attempted bribery and violence.
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    The footie hero, who has won 62 caps for the Three Lions, got a suspended jail term of 21 months. 
    Maguire’s lawyers immediately lodged an appeal — quashing the original verdict — and vowed to return to court to clear his name. 
    Luke Littler takes on Harry Maguire in incredible darts challenge as fans say Man Utd star should ‘switch careers’
    The player later told how the ordeal unfolded as he, his wife Fern, sister Daisy and six others waited for a taxi.
    He said two Albanian men approached Daisy and tried to talk to her. 
    Fern said she then saw Daisy’s eyes had rolled back as she drifted in and out of consciousness.
    Maguire said the group shouted at the men but there was no fight.
    Harry Maguire spoke to the BBC’s sports editor Dan Roan in 2020Credit: BBC
    Harry Maguire during his infamous 2020 interview about the Mykonos brawl
    Harry (right) with sister Daisy Maguire in MykonosCredit: Refer to CaptionHARRY MAGUIRE MYKONOS BATTLE TIMELINE More

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    Chris Eubank Snr’s youngest son Joseph, 27, denies raping teen girl near Brighton Pier

    CHRIS Eubank Snr’s youngest son has denied raping a teenage girl near Brighton Pier.Joseph Eubank, 27, allegedly attacked the girl in the popular seaside resort in July 2022.
    Joseph Eubank denied rape charges todayCredit: Brighton Pictures
    Eubank, left, with his boxer dad and brother Chris JrCredit: Twitter
    He appeared at Lewes Crown Court today where he denied two counts of raping a woman aged under 18.
    Eubank, the youngest son of boxing legend Chris, was released on bail.
    Wearing a charcoal grey coat, black trousers and a black crew-neck top, Eubank was told he is facing trial in September.
    A police investigation was launched after the teen alleged she was raped near the pier on July 16, 2022.
    She was supported by specialist officers while Eubank was arrested and later charged.
    Chris Eubank Sr held the WBO middleweight and super-middleweight titles between 1990 and 1995.
    Joseph Eubank’s brother Chris Jr is also a professional boxer and has fought the likes of Billy Joe Saunders and George Groves.
    Chris Eubank Snr’s youngest son Joseph, 27, appears in court charged with raping teen girl near Brighton Pier
    Eubank is accused of raping a teen near Brighton PierCredit: Brighton Pictures More