BY GABRIEL PRINCEWILL
Premier League player, Danny Simpson is facing jail after he was found guilty by a court today of throttling the mother of his child following a drunken tiff.
The 28 year old former Manchester defender was found ‘straddling’ his ex-girlfriend Stephanie Ward with both hands around her throat when police arrived at her house following a 999 call.
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He had been out drinking with his girlfriend in a hotel bar after an initial drink of red wine with food earlier that evening. The pair whose relationship has been volatile for 8 years managed to stay on good terms for the sake of their 3 year old daughter.
Unfortunately, the evening turned sour when she accused him of texting another girl whilst they were out together, and the arguments persisted in the taxi on their way back to the house the rich footballer bought for her and their daughter. Police were called after a long 8 minute call during which the pair continued to argue. The call was played to the court who could hear her shouting ”get off me, get off me, and Simpson could clearly be heard calling her a slag. The footballer was then heard claiming to be bleeding following a physical struggle between them.
Officers at the scene testified to hearing shouting from the home followed by a choking, after which they found his former lover gasping for her breath whilst she was throttled by Simpson. Officers then had to drag him off Miss Ward and then handcuffed the footballer while she was left ”crying hysterically and cowering in the corner of the Living room”
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The shamed footballer then stupidly asked her to tell officers he ”didn’t do anything”, despite the fact police caught him in the act. Under cross examination, the former Leicester City defender explained that an argument they had became heated when he asked her to return an expensive pair of shoes he had bought her as a Christmas gift. Simpson ungrammatically said “As a mum and dad if we can be amicable( he means behave amicably) for our little girl we want to be.
We opened presents together as a family on Christmas Day and it was nice. I had a game on the 28th so I said we could go for dinner and she could get a babysitter.
“We had a bottle of wine with the meal and then in the hotel bar we ordered drinks but didn’t drink them. I wouldn’t say I was drunk, but I was tipsy.
“We were arguing over nothing. It was over some messages years ago. I also spent a lot of money on her Christmas present on shoes for her and I was saying I wanted them back. From me trying to get the shoes I took a hit off her. I remember her foot kick at me as I was grabbing the shoes.”
Asked by his solicitor whether he strangled Miss Ward at all, Simpson replied: “No. It was a matter of seconds and I was on the floor face down.”
He added: “I didn’t think she deserved she shoes. She was on the sofa and I was trying to get them off her. What a stupid statement for a 28 year old to make, that she did not deserve shoes he bought her for Christmas. One pathetic shortcoming that beset many relationships is the inability to separate the argument at hand from a gift given on a previous occasion. Even more stupid were his attempts to physically remove the shoes from her feet, considering especially the fact she is mother to his child.
Finding him guilty, Judge Simmons said Simpson sounded ‘aggressive and domineering’ in the 999 call and she had no reason to doubt the account given by PC Hughes. “I reject your account as unworthy of belief,” she said.
“PC Hughes has no reason to lie. Therefore the defendant is guilty of assault by grabbing Miss Ward around the throat and throttling her.
“I take the view this is a serious matter, aggravated by being in domestic context. I take the view it does pass the custody threshold. She is vulnerable because of the personal context and to strangle someone is akin to using a weapon.
“All sentencing options, including custody, remain open.” He will be sentenced next month.
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