Boycott victim’s fury at ‘disgusting’ knighthood
THE former girlfriend who Geoffrey Boycott was convicted of beating up has called on him to give back his knighthood.
Speaking for the first time since the honour was announced last week, Margaret Moore said she was disgusted at the award to the England cricketing legend.
Her comments came as t he French judge who convicted Boycott described his attitude during the trial in 1998 as ‘arrogant and deplorable’.
The remarks by Ms Moore will add to the anger which has grown since former Prime Minister Theresa May knighted Boycott in her resignation honours list.
Ms Moore, 67, who now lives in France, said: ‘He doesn’t deserve a knighthood. It’s disgusting. I haven’t heard from him and don’t want to. He treated me appallingly. Who hits a woman?’
Boycott, 78, was first convicted in Grasse, France, in January 1998. The court was told he attacked divorcee Ms Moore while they were staying at the luxurious £1,000 a night Hotel du Cap in Antibes in 1996. Boycott has always claimed her extensive bruising and other injuries were caused when she accidentally slipped on the floor. He was fined £5,000 and given a three-month suspended sentence. A retrial later the same year confirmed the initial verdict.
Ms Moore told The Sun: ‘I told the court then that he hit me at least 20 times when I was on the floor, and they backed me twice.
‘ I’ll never forget that night. It was horrible. What sort of man does that and is then made a knight? He should hand it back.’
Judge Dominique Haumant, who sentenced Boycott, also criticised the knighthood decision. She told The Guardian: ‘ I cannot believe he’s being received by the Queen. I’m told she will take a sword and anoint him on each shoulder. Now that I’m really shocked at. He doesn’t deserve it. As far as French justice is concerned, he has been found guilty of having beaten his partner.’
Boycott reacted angrily when asked by Martha Kearney on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme last week about criticism of his honour by Adina Claire, of domestic violence charity Women’s Aid.
‘ I don’t give a toss about her, love,’ he said. ‘It was 25 years ago. It’s very difficult to prove your innocence in another country, in another language.’
Boycott had a remarkable international career, playing in 108 tests and becoming the first English batsman to score over 8,000 runs.
His media inquiries are handled by his daughter Emma, who said: ‘ We are aware of various interviews and have no comment.’