Former Manchester United footballer Roy Keane is reported to have signalled to an Arsenal supporter to “confront him outside” after a playful exchange became more heated during a football match, according to information presented in a London court.
Scott Law, aged 43, is contesting a charge of common assault pertaining to an event that occurred on September 3rd of the previous year after Arsenal’s win against Manchester United, 3-1.
The ex-Irish international, who is currently a broadcaster for Sky Sports, is reported to have been assaulted by Mr Law outside the Emirates Stadium, Waltham Abbey, Essex.
The defence for Mr Law presented evidence of a CCTV recording from within the stadium which they allege shows Mr Keane striking the accused with his elbow.
However, during questioning, the assigned law enforcement officer told the court that Mr Keane may have had contact with the accused, although it “doesn’t appear as if it was an intentional elbow strike to the face”.
In reaction to the CCTV footage, defence attorney Charles Sherrard KC questioned the officer regarding the reason to lift one’s elbow that fast, implying it was to hold someone back.
However, Detective Constable Phil Dickinson from the Metropolitan Police’s sports investigation department contradicted this claim, stating it was more likely that he was attempting to grab hold of the accused.
Mr Sherrard labelled this as complete rubbish and accused the officer of being dishonest. He alleged that the police failed to probe for evidence counter to Mr Law, who was situated below Sky Sports studio in Arsenal’s stadium during the match.
Additional CCTV recordings shown in court seemingly showed Mr Law departing and sprinting away from the Emirates Stadium on the day of the alleged event.
Mr Law submitted a statement that noted what he considered a playful exchange escalating into a more aggressive interaction, with Mr Keane signalling him to “confront him outside”. As an ardent football fan, Mr Law added that he had previously witnessed Mr Keane’s violent behaviour on the pitch and admitted to feeling fearful at the time of the event.
Mr Law claimed that during a pause in play, Mr Keane adopted an overly confrontational demeanour when he encountered him in the lavatory. He said Mr Keane appeared incensed. In an attempt to guard himself from the former Sunderland manager, Mr Law stated he inclined his head forward as a preventive measure. A picture of Mr Law, taken when he was in custody on 4th September 2023, presenting a visibly damaged nose was put forth in court. Footage of an apparent clash calmed down by Micah Richards, an ex-Manchester City player and sports analyst for Sky Sports, made rounds on social media following last year’s match. The origin of the circulated video, presented in the court, could not be traced, Detective Constable Dickinson admitted, due to the volume of retweets. The court assessment persists.