Shamed Leicester star is tagged
LEICESTER City’s Danny Simpson is likely to miss part of his team’s title-winning celebrations after being put under a court curfew.
Simpson, 29, was sentenced to 300 hours’ community service for assaulting ex-girlfriend Stephanie Ward, the mother of his child. He has completed about half of the hours.
Yesterday he went back to court to ask for the remaining time to be converted into a fine.
But a judge said the £25,000-a-week footballer was so wealthy a fine would be meaningless and he should have an electronic tag and be under a curfew instead.
The defender’s lawyer, Gary Ryan, told Manchester magistrates’ court that the press twice discovered where Simpson was doing unpaid work. The “intrusion” had made it impossible for him to complete his hours. Simpson worked in an Age UK shop, parking his £200,000 Lamborghini round the corner. He also worked with disabled children.
Mr Ryan said that a curfew would affect his work as a footballer as Simpson was due to travel to the USA and Sweden to play French club PSG and Barcelona, and would also play in Europe in the Champions’ League.
Simpson also had community, charity and exhibition commitments. But District Judge Alexandra Simmonds said the sentence for assaulting his ex-partner was “richly deserved punishment” and there must be a restriction of liberty by the imposition of a curfew.
Simpson shook his head as his original sentence was revoked and he was given the curfew. The judge ordered that he must stay at his home in Salford between 10pm and 6am for 21 days. Also, he must wear a tag on his ankle in the house.
Mr Ryan argued a curfew would be especially “onerous” as the Premier League champions still had to play Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, followed that night by a function at a London hotel.
Leicester will go on an open-top bus tour of the city on Monday followed by a trip to Thailand starting on Tuesday.
But Judge Simmonds told Simpson he must start his curfew immediately. He was arrested when a police officer found him sitting on top of his ex with his hands around her neck.