‘Liverpool-hating’ father who f ilmed Carragher spitting
THIS is the father who filmed Jamie Carragher spitting at his car as his 14-year-old daughter sat in the passenger seat.
Andy Hughes, a die-hard Manchester United fan who ‘hates’ Liverpudlians, used his mobile phone to record the attack by the ex-footballer, who is battling to save his £1million job as a Sky Sports pundit.
Police last night confirmed they had spoken to Mr Hughes, 38, after he was criticised for using his handset at the wheel.
Officers said inquiries were ongoing, but it was unclear whether they were planning to speak to former Liverpool player Carragher and whether an assault allegation had been made.
Mr Hughes – whose page on photo-sharing website Instagram says he hates ‘racists, Scousers and bigots’ – apparently goaded Carragher, saying, ‘2-1, 2-1, unlucky Jamie lad, 2-1 lad’ from his open car window following United’s victory over Liverpool on Saturday.
The father then captured the moment Carragher spat at his car, catching his daughter in the face. She can be heard saying, ‘He spat at me,’ before Mr Hughes replies: ‘How? Oooh. Nice. Jamie Carragher spat at my daughter. Nice, very nice Jamie Carragher.’
Father-of-two Carragher, who has been suspended by Sky Sports, went on live TV on Monday to apologise. He also phoned the girl and her father to say sorry. Carer Mr Hughes, whose Face- book feed is full of posts lauding his favourite team, has urged the broadcaster not to sack Carragher, 40, who is worth around £15million and has already been axed by Danish channel TV3 Sport.
‘We don’t want him to lose his job – it is not about that,’ Mr Hughes, of Colwyn Bay, North Wales, told the Daily Mirror. ‘We wanted an apology and an explanation. He seems contrite. Everyone makes mistakes, we are all human.’ Mrs Hughes, who was also in the car at the time, added: ‘He did seem extremely sorry.’
BBC presenter Jeremy Vine suggested Mr Hughes should face sanctions for using his phone at the wheel. He wrote on Twitter: ‘Spitting – disgusting, possibly criminal … Filming on a mobile while driving a car with a child in the back … straight to jail.’
Friend and former Liverpool player David Thompson appeared to suggest Carragher’s behaviour could be explained by his private life. He tweeted: ‘Jamie has done wrong he knows that…none of you know what’s been going on in his personal life and what he’s dealing with.’