Sunday Mail (UK)

The Saint who saved a gunman from jail

St Mirren star’s cop deal

- Derek Alexander

Ex- football star Tony Fitzpatric­k has revealed how he escorted a thug to a police station and handed over an illegal shotgun.

The former St Mirren captain convinced the gang member to get the weapon off the streets after it was used in a letterbox attack.

Scot t i sh Cup winner Fitzpatric­k gave the youth a pep talk during a coaching session aimed at steering young people away from crime.

The incident came while the Buddies legend was part of the Strathclyd­e Police Community Initiative to Reduce Violence.

He taught gang members football and talked about the benefits of a violence-free life.

The 62-year-old used his own experience of being caught up in street violence as a teenager in Glasgow’s Possil district to communicat­e with youngsters.

He said: “One of the lads I was working with fell back to his old ways and I got a call from the police.

“They told me they hadad him in custody and he was kickingick­ing off in a police cell becauseuse he was going to miss my session.ssion.

“Apparently, he had firedred a shotgun through someone’sone’s letterbox the night beforefore and was spotted by police.ce.

“Al though t he bboyoy escaped, the police knewew who he was and laterter arrested him but not beforeore he had hidden the gun.

“The pol ice weree desperate to get thatt firearm off the streets andd they asked me to speakk to the boy and persuade him to give me the gun.

“If he did that, they said they would only charge him with a breach of the peace and he wouldn’t be jailed. “ThThey let the boy come to my coacoachin­g session and I pulled him aside. He denied he had anyanythin­g to do with a gun but then I told him about the deal. “LLater that night, he called me aand said he’d give me the gun. He took me to a piece of waste ground near Shettlesto­n and jumpedju out of the car. A few minutminut­es later, he returned with the shotgunsho wrapped in a blanket. “We then drove to London Road police station to hand it over. The boy gogot charged with a breach of the peacepe and pled guilty but, as promipromi­sed, didn’t get jail time.” FitzpFitzp­atrick, who also managed SaintsSain­ts, made the revelation in his autobiauto­biography Fitzy – The Story Of My Life, published last month. He aalso revealed that he was the victimvic of a machete attack and howh he often saw youths f ightiighti­ng with weapons when he was growing up.

 ??  ?? PERFECT PITCH St Mirren legend Tony launches his autobiogra­phy Picture Jeff Holmes
PERFECT PITCH St Mirren legend Tony launches his autobiogra­phy Picture Jeff Holmes
 ??  ?? TALENT Tony plays for St Mirren in the80s
TALENT Tony plays for St Mirren in the80s

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