Former footballer spared prison after punching girlfriend in row
A FORMER PREMIER League footballer has avoided prison after being found guilty of punching his girlfriend in a drunken rage.
TV pundit Peter Beagrie, 51, was heard shouting, swearing and making threats to his girlfriend moments before the midnight attack.
Witnesses said they saw someone believed to be Beagrie, striking the woman ‘two or three’ times with his left fist.
Magistrates heard Beagrie assaulted the woman in the street in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, shortly after the couple had left the Blue Bar in the town where they had been drinking.
The court heard Beagrie had accused his girlfriend of cheating on him. Beagrie, of Killinghall, North Yorkshire, pleaded not guilty to one charge of assault by beating but was found guilty by Skipton Magistrates.
He was ordered to pay £625 court costs and an £85 surcharge.
Magistrates also ordered him to carry out a 12-month community order and undertake 15 days’ rehabilitation for alcohol.
The court heard that when police arrived, a drunk Beagrie was towering over and shouting in the face of the woman, who officers noticed had a 1cm cut to her lip and bruising to her body.
The former footballer, who once played for Manchester City and Everton, was arrested following the 15-minute attack on April 13. Beagrie enjoyed a 23-year career playing for 10 clubs, which also included Bradford City and Scunthorpe United.
Beagrie has three children with his late wife, Lynn, who died of cancer in 2015.
Beagrie admitted drinking six glasses of champagne and three gin and tonics and said a row then broke out following a conversation regarding marriage.
Defending, Peter Minnikin said two police officers had to help the woman into her home because she was unsteady on her feet.
After the case Sky Sports confirmed Beagrie had been sacked as a pundit because of the conviction.