FOOTBALLER Duncan Ferguson was yesterday sentenced to three months in
prison at Glasgow Sheriff Court for assaulting a rival player on the
park.
The #4m Everton and Scotland striker, who previously played for Dundee
United and Rangers, was later released pending an appeal.
Ferguson, 23, was sentenced by Sheriff Alexander Eccles after having
been found guilty two weeks ago at the same court of head-butting Raith
Rovers defender John McStay during a match at Ibrox last year.
In view of Ferguson having three previous convictions for assault,
Sheriff Eccles had deferred sentence until yesterday for background
reports.
Ferguson's lawyer, Mr Donald Findlay QC, lodged an immediate appeal,
and Ferguson was granted interim liberty. The appeal is likely to be
heard in October in the High Court in Edinburgh. The court can reduce or
overturn the sentence but it also has the power to increase it.
Ferguson spent 90 minutes in the cells at the court before being
released.
He refused to comment as he faced a barrage of reporters and
television cameras.
Everton chairman Peter Johnson said: ''Duncan Ferguson's lawyers have
decided to lodge an appeal against the verdict and the sentence. Everton
FC is fully supportive of Duncan Ferguson. There will be no further
comment.''
Mr Findlay said he could make no comment pending the appeal.
Earlier in court, Mr Findlay had made a strong plea in mitigation for
Ferguson and urged the court to impose a sentence of community service.
However, Sheriff Eccles told Ferguson he was jailing him ''both in the
public interest'' and to bring home to Ferguson that such behaviour
could not be tolerated.
Ferguson looked shocked and briefly put his hands forward on to the
rail of the dock before being escorted from court by two officers.
In January 1992, Ferguson was fined #125 for head-butting a policeman,
and the following March was fined #200 for assaulting a man on crutches
after a row at a Stirling taxi rank.
Five months later, he was back in court and convicted of assaulting a
stranger in a Fife hotel bar. He was put on 12 months' probation in
September 1993 and told a jail sentence had been seriously considered.
Sheriff Eccles said yesterday: ''On this particular occasion, I would
accept it took place against a background of a highly charged football
match which, like many other sports, is a contact sport involving a
certain amount of violence.
''In addition, the other player involved was not seriously injured.''
However, the sheriff went on to say it was a ''clearly deliberate act''
which took place not in the course of play but after a stoppage.
He said Ferguson's ''previous convictions, while not involving
football matches, are in many ways similar. Various disposals have been
tried in the past with no apparent success.''
Mr Findlay had argued that the incident had happened in the heat of
the moment. It was the act of a young man who had since matured -- and
that other incidents in football had not been followed by prosecutions.
To back this, he showed the court videos of incidents at two other
Scottish matches: a pre-season friendly between Hearts and Raith Rovers
involving a ''punch-up'' between two Hearts' defenders and the Scottish
Junior Cup Final last May between Largs Thistle and Glenafton Athletic
in which two players from each side were sent off after a ''fracas''.
He also emphasised that Ferguson was a young man now maturing after a
period in which he had been less well-equipped to handle pressures.
As a youngster showing considerable talent he had attracted the
attentions of people ''who were not always well disposed to him''.
However, Mr Findlay said Ferguson had learnt much from his experiences
and had matured significantly and this was reflected in social inquiry
reports. He said Ferguson now worked with schools for special needs
children and was ''a superb ambassador for the club with his charity
work''.
He said incidents will occur in the course of a game which, if they
were to happen on the street, ''would inevitably lead to a charge of
assault''.
Many media representatives could not get in to the hearing, and
Everton chairman Peter Johnson and director Sir Philip Carter, were also
shut out. Mr Carter said: ''It was easier getting into our cup final at
Wembley last Saturday.''
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