Ex-Ballymena Utd star pleads guilty to a raft of theft charges
A PROMISING former Irish League footballer facing shoplifting charges was at a “low ebb” after suffering an injury that ended his career, a court has heard.
Jamie Davidson (23), who played for Ballymena United, appeared at the town’s Magistrates Court via video-link yesterday from Maghaberry Prison.
He had been remanded into custody on Monday.
Yesterday Davidson, of Millfield, Ballymena, pleaded guilty to a number of charges, including stealing a jacket and pair of jeans worth £64.98 from New Look in Ballymena’s Fairhill Centre last month when he put the coat under his own coat.
He also took two bottles of Coke worth £2.60 from Marks & Spencer in July, and he was caught with class C drug diazepam on August 13.
Davidson also pleaded guilty to stealing a vape tank and battery worth £68 in Ballymena in March this year; the theft of a protein tub from Holland & Barrett in Ballymena worth £65 in November last year, and making off without paying a £43 taxi fare last December.
A prosecutor told the court the drugs matters came to light when Davidson was searched by police following a disturbance.
Defence barrister Michael Smyth said his client, who had a very limited record, had been “playing locally as a professional footballer” but his career was ended by injury and the defendant also lost his job at the Michelin factory in Ballymena.
Mr Smyth said that Davidson had also split with his partner and “found himself at a low ebb”.
Imposing a two-month prison term, suspended for one year, District Judge Peter King said the sentence was to remind the defendant “that this is not a set of circumstances to be replicated in the future”.
He also ordered that Davidson pay £50 compensation to the taxi company.
In June last year at Ballymena Magistrates Court Davidson was found guilty of attacking a man he allegedly caught sexually assaulting a woman who had been asleep on a sofa at a house party.
He was given a six-month conditional discharge.
Davidson was once regarded as one of the top prospects in the Irish League.
However, his career was blighted by injury.
Five years ago it was reported that teams such as Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Swansea City and Brighton and Hove Albion were looking at him.