Football host’s daughter ‘sent abusive texts to best friend who had f ling with her father’
THE daughter of TV presenter Richard Keys bombarded a former friend who allegedly had a fling with her father with abusive text messages, a court heard yesterday.
Jemma Keys, 32, is accused of harassing lawyer Lucie Rose, who reportedly spent two nights with the former Sky Sports journalist while his wife Julia, 57, battled cancer. He has always publicly denied the affair.
Actress Keys admitted sending the messages to Miss Rose, 28, when she appeared before magistrates in east London yesterday.
But she denied harassment and claims she was mentally ill at the time. If found guilty she faces up to six months in jail.
The court heard Keys allegedly sent ‘a number’ of threatening and abusive texts to Miss Rose over a period of five weeks, between October and December this year.
Blonde Keys, who arrived at court wearing a beige coat, black dress, black tights and black boots, spoke to confirm her name, date of birth, address, and to give her nationality as British. Peter Lush, chair of the bench, granted her bail on condition she does not contact Miss Rose. A trial date was set for March next year.
He told her: ‘You have pleaded not guilty. Until then you are on conditional bail, which is not to contact Lucie Rose.
‘That means no texts, no telling friends to contact, no emails, no phone calls. If by chance you see her in the street, you walk away. Do you understand?’
Keys, of Ascot, Berkshire, replied: ‘I do understand.’
Jonathan Black, defending, said there was a ‘complex background’ to the case.
The court heard Keys, who starred in Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks, was sent a harassment warning about her contact with Miss Rose, but claims she did not receive it.
Mr Keys resigned in disgrace from his £500,000 role at Sky Sports in 2011 after making sexist comments about a female referee.
He and co-presenter Andy Gray made disparaging off-air remarks about female match official Sian Massey.
It is understood Miss Rose, who is now a private equity lawyer, became friends with Keys in Qatar.
Her family moved to Doha, and subsequently in 2013 Mr Keys was offered £420,000 to be the face of Qatar sports channel beIN. In January this year, Miss Rose and Mr Keys, 60, were pictured strolling arm-in-arm close to the five- star Hyatt Regency Hotel London – The Churchill where they were staying.
At the time his wife, who has thyroid cancer, said she had no idea her husband was back in Britain. A month later, Mrs Keys told the Daily Mail about the moment she realised her husband was cheating. It is understood she has since filed for divorce.
‘I suddenly thought, “Hang on. I think something is going on with Richard”, she said. ‘There were classic symptoms: he was overprotective with his phone, the secret calls, the latenight texts quickly deleted.
‘I was so angry. There was a part of me that had actually been accepting of the situation. When you’re lied to so prolifically … lies are so damaging. They make a person doubt themselves and their own gut feelings.
‘When you’re constantly being told, “It’s all in your mind”... that “you’re mad,” or “you’re imagining things,” you start to believe it.
‘I called Richard and I said, very calmly, “I’ve just been shown some photos of you and Lucie. There is really nothing left to say, is there?”
‘He didn’t reply. He couldn’t. I’m really, really sad that at this stage in our life we find ourselves compromised in this way.’
‘Lies are so damaging’