GAZZA ON ‘HARDEST YEAR
CLEARED star Paul Gascoigne croaks with emotion as he tells the Sunday Mirror how his sex assault trial pushed him to the brink of despair.
The soccer legend, plagued for months by the prospect of being put on the sex offenders register, admits: “This is the hardest thing I’ve ever been through. It’s been a year of hell.”
Gazza, 52, says he feared being abused in the street and was reduced to tears at the thought of being barred from seeing his young relatives.
He also reveals he wanted to jump up in court and scream: “I’m no sex offender”.
And he maintains he only kissed the woman at the centre of the court case because she was being taunted over her weight by fellow train passengers.
Police arrested me, quizzed me, and then they wanted selfies with me
MEMORIES
Their jibes brought back terrible memories for ex-Spurs and England star Paul of his bullied nephew’s overdose death at just 22. In his first interview since being found not guilty of sexual assault, Gazza:
Says he feared being branded “worse than Jeffrey Epstein” – Prince Andrew’s paedophile pal.
Went on all-night exercise binges to stop him drinking ahead of the trial.
Claims cops asked for selfies before letting him go after his initial arrest.
Gazza, who has fought a battle with booze for years, was speaking to the Mirror at a hotel suite in Bournemouth – near his new home in Poole.
He was dressed in a blue suit and the two-toned brogues he wore to Teesside Crown Court, where a jury took nearly three hours to clear him of sexual assault and assault by beating.
Gazza looks remarkably healthy and relaxed after the toll of the court case.
Driven by an innate hatred of bullying, he says his only intention when he kissed the woman was to comfort her.
He talks painfully about being haunted by the death of beloved nephew Jay Kerrigan in 2016. An inquest ruled Jay accidentally overdosed on drugs at his girlfriend’s home. The hearing was told that he had battled mental problems and was tormented by schoolyard bullies.
Gazza says: “My nephew Jay died, he was bullied and I never want to see that happen to someone else.
“All I was doing was sticking up for the girl.
“I gave the girl a peck. I didn’t mean anything sexual, I just heard what was said to her and wanted to help. If it was anyone else this would never have gone to court. I accept I’m not liked by everyone.
“I shouldn’t have to change the way I behave. I’ve been kissed six times this morning – does that mean I have been sexually assaulted?
“The last year has been a nightmare and I’ve worked hard to stay sober, in the last 6 months I’ve not touched a drop.
“I’ve been in trouble but nothing like this. I worried people would stop me going down the high street and shout abuse at me, or stop me from being around their kids.
“I was thinking, ‘Have I let the fans down?’ Being on the sex offenders list – that’s not me. This is the hardest thing I’ve ever been through. There were times when I could have just f***ing locked the door, turned my phones off and just got bladdered.
“I’ve stayed strong – I’ve had to. Even talking about this I could walk out and go get p***ed now. But I know alcohol would make it worse.”
Gazza then refers to Epstein, 66 – the US billionaire who killed himself while awaiting trial for trafficking girls for sex. He says: “I was worried I’d be treated like Jeffrey Epstein. I’d get worse publicity than Epstein.” The kiss at the centre of the court case happened after Gazza boarded the 17.31 York to Newcastle train on August 20 last year.
He was on his way to Tyneside after spending a week with his nephews Cameron, 16, and Joe, 14.
SHOCKED
In court Gascoigne was said to have kissed the woman without her consent for four seconds in front of shocked passengers as the train was outside Darlington.
Gazza says he had no idea what was about to unfold. He says: “I got back to my hotel and called my sister.
“While I was on the phone the police knocked on her door and said ‘Hi Paul, we want to talk to you about the incident on the train’. I didn’t mean anything nasty by it but I said, ‘Is this about the fat lass?’ They said they wanted to come see me and I said, ‘ What for? For the peck I did?’
“I said I had done nothing wrong but they wanted to come see me because they said it would be in my best interest.”
Gazza was staying at the four star, £149-a-night Jesmond Dene Hotel in Newcastle.
He continues: “The police came to my room and they said, ‘Did you peck the girl?’ I said, ‘ Yes’. Then they read me my rights but didn’t cuff me.
“They asked if I wanted a lawyer and I said, ‘No, I don’t need one, I’m