Keane to take stand in assault trial
Manchester United captain Roy Keane is due to give evidence in court today after allegedly grabbing a teenager, then throwing a punch at his face.
The Irish international will appear in his defence on the second day of his trial at Trafford Magistrates Court in Greater Manchester.
Keane, 33, is said to have grabbed his 16-year-old alleged victim by the neck while shouting in his face after the boy called the footballer a “wanker”.
He also swung a punch at the 16-year-old, his fist stopping just before the youth’s face, it was claimed.
The teenager, who gave evidence via a video link on the first day of the trial, denied making the story up so he could go to the press or sue the multi-millionaire footballer.
The two had clashed after the student rode his moped with a friend, aged 17, near Keane’s £1.4m (€2m) mansion in Hale, Cheshire, last September, the court heard.
Keane was walking his dogs when the youngster beeped his horn to acknowledge the star, he told the court.
But as he passed the footballer, Keane swung out with a stick he used while walking his dogs.
The 6ft 2in teenager drove past, turned round and made a “wanker gesture” with his hand towards Keane.
Weeks later the youngsters, who could not be named for legal reasons, were on their mopeds again visiting a house across the road from Keane’s home and the footballer confronted the youngster.
Keane said to him: “Did you call me a wanker? Why did you do that?” The teenager replied: “Because you nearly hit me, you swung for me with your walking stick.
“The next thing he did was swing at my face with his right fist. He said: ‘That’s nearly hitting you.’ I flinched backwards…I started to walk past him. He grabbed my arm and turned me around to talk to him as I was walking away.
Keane then walked out of sight and the boy turned to his friend and said: “What a wanker.” But Keane overheard the remark and reappeared.
“He approached me quite fast, walking over, pointing at me, saying: ‘Did you call me a wanker?'" the teenager said.
“I said: ‘I don’t know.’ He was being pretty scary. He looked quite aggressive.
“He had his head right up against mine, he grabbed my shirt and must have caught my chain and was pointing.
“His forehead was touching mine. I was quite scared. When he was speaking he was spitting as well.” The chain fell to the floor and Keane seemed to calm down and offered to have it repaired.
The boy then left to report the matter to police and Keane was arrested later and charged.
Keane denies the charge of criminal damage for snapping the youngster’s £2.99 (€4.30) silver neck chain. He also denies common assault and a public order offence on September 4 last year.
District judge Paul Richardson will hear evidence from Keane before the case is concluded later today.
