October 10 - Bellamy in the dock

OCCASIONALLY the worlds of football and criminal prosecutions converge, and when they do, either Joey Barton or Craig Bellamy are usually involved.

Today we are focusing on the Welsh wonder who was due to appear in court on this day in 2006. The striker who trained at the Robbie Savage school of being a hated footballer, was accused of bringing a little bit of his famed mouth to the streets of Cardiff and he was charged with assaulting Sophie Palmer, 19, and Holly Smith, 20, in the Number 10 night club in Cardiff in February 2006.

Nothing extraordinary there you might think, just another vastly overpaid Premiership star kicking his can all over the place after one too many sherberts. But there was a problem, and the fortunes of an entire nation rested on the timing of the trial.

The proposed date of the trial, which was expected to last up to three days, was set to clash with a Euro 2008 qualifying match with Cyprus, due to be played at the Millennium Stadium on October 11.

Facing missing out on the game, Bellamy decided to play the ‘do you know who I am card’ and tried to get the trial moved. His solicitor Matthew de Maid said: “I’m keen to have the trial heard in early October to assist Mr Bellamy to fulfil his professional commitments. It would not be ideal for my client or the supporters in this country if he had to attend court in the daytime and play in the evening.”

At first there was nothin’ doin’ and District Judge Gerwyn Watkins refused Bellamy’s application to have the trial date moved, but in the end he got his way and the hearing did not take place until November when he the prosecution alleged Craig had grabbed the victim’s throat. Sophie Palmer said: “He grabbed me with both hands around the neck and held me up against the wall and he was squeezing.”

In a neat nod to history the trial, which lasted five days, was overseen by District Judge John Charles, the namesake of Bellamy’s Welsh striking predecessor.

After five days of Perry Mason action, Judge Charles decided that for once in his life, Bellamy was innocent and he was acquitted of the charges.

In the meantime he played in the Cyprus game and on the same night when Paul Robinson and Steve McClaren were having their nightmare in Croatia, Bellamy got on the scoresheet as Wales won 3-1 in yet another pointless victory in a qualification campaign.

No doubt Bellamy was told by all and sundry to keep his nose clean after the incident but you can’t keep a good moron down and it would be just a few months before he was making headlines again.

Seemingly having moved on from assaulting girls, Bellas now turned on his own teammates and attacked John Arne Riise with a golf club after the Norwegian refused to join in with what would have doubtless been a rousing rendition of My Way at a karaoke bar.

In the first match following the incident, a Champions League tie away at Barcelona, Bellamy scored to level the score at 1-1 and celebrated by swinging an imaginary golf club in triumph to show he does at least have a sense of humour. He wasn’t finished there, and even provided the assist for Riise’s winners later in the game. Great stuff.

We will leave you with some footage from that game at Camp Nou, including Bellamy’s celebration. More tomorrow sports fans, or check this from this day last year if you want more right now.

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