Cipriani ‘full of regret’ for injuring officer outside club
DANNY CIPRIANI the England rugby player, said he was “mortified” and full of regret last night after being fined for injuring a female police officer during an argument at a nightclub.
Cipriani, 30, who has previously drawn attention to himself over his partying lifestyle and celebrity girlfriends, admitted to a court that he had left a female officer with a bruised neck as she tried to arrest him for assaulting a doorman at a nightclub.
The police officer has been named in reports as Jodie Botterill, a former international footballer for Wales.
Cipriani, who was recalled to the England side over the summer but warned he was on a “last chance” by head coach Eddie Jones, was fined £2,000 at Jersey magistrates’ court after spending two nights in custody following the fracas outside the nightclub. The fly-half became verbally abusive before tussling with a doorman after attempting to leave The Little Drift club in St Helier with two drinks.
Last night he said he wanted to send a “heartfelt apology … to my club, team-mates, supporters and most importantly the police. They have a tough and vital job and I’m mortified that, earlier this week, I acted in a way that I hugely regret. I am truly sorry.
“I would like to put on record the words of the magistrate, Sarah Fitz, who stated that it was a minor incident and a fine is more than sufficient.”
Cipriani was banned from the road for drink driving in 2016, and was once left with concussion after running into a double decker bus in a pub crawl.
Pc Botterill is a former head coach of Jersey’s women’s national team. Her father, Thomas, reportedly said she was back on shift yesterday.
Cipriani is said to have grabbed the officer by the collar. She fell to the ground, sustaining a bruised neck. He spent two nights in a police cell and was fined £1,500 for resisting arrest and £500 for assault. He was ordered to pay £250 compensation to the injured officer.