Gerrard 'threw barrage of punches in row'
Helen Carter
guardian.co.uk
News Wed 22 Jul 2009 16:27 BST
Alleged victim of attack in Southport nightclub tells court Liverpool captain hit him two or three times
A man allegedly attacked by Steven Gerrard told a court todayhow he "faced a barrage of punches" from the Liverpool captain, who swore at him when he refused to hand over control of a CD player.
Marcus McGee, 34, said he disliked the footballer's attitude when requesting a card that controlled the stereo. "I would describe it as bad and rude. He was bad-mannered straight away. I acted in proportion to what his attitude was.
"When you see a famous person like that you do not think you are going to have a fight or trouble with them."
He told Liverpool crown court that Gerrard, 29, said "something to the effect of, 'Here you are, lad, give me that.' "
He refused: "It was my job, so I didn't hand it over." McGee said the manager of the Lounge Inn in Southport had asked him to be in charge of the music as he wanted to get everyone dancing.
He told the court that Gerrard made a move to try to grab the card off him to take it away and recalls it slipping on to the floor. The footballer walked away.
Gerrard, who was in the bar with friends celebrating Liverpool's 5-1 win over Newcastle United, is shown on CCTV walking away before later returning to confront McGee.
Seven minutes later McGee was sat on a bar stool at the bar when Gerrard approached and said: "What the f**k is your problem?" McGee stood up as he felt threatened and vulnerable sitting down and looking up at the footballer and they had a brief conversation.
He told the court: "I remember a barrage of punches coming in at my face but at that point I don't know who has done what. Having watched the CCTV it was quite obvious Steven Gerrard hit me a couple of times, maybe three times but I couldn't honestly say on the night."
Gerrard, a married father of two, denies affray. Six co-defendants, including two Accrington Stanley players, have admitted charges of affray or threatening behaviour before their trial was due to begin.
Under cross-examination by John Kelsey-Fryer, Gerrard's barrister, McGee strongly rebutted a suggestion that he swore at the footballer.
McGee said he was innocent, saying: "I didn't throw any punches, I wasn't acting aggressively, I didn't hit anyone at all."
His girlfriend, Gina Lond, told the court: "I saw an elbow going into Marcus's face. At that time I thought it was Steven's. Marcus was just getting punched and kicked by several people. He had blood on his face and he had a cut on his forehead."
Bar worker Nathaniel Lockie, who saw the start of the fight, told the court that he saw Gerrard pull McGee's jumper over his head with his left hand, pulling him forward "so that he was off balance" before punching him.
Lockie ran round to the other side of the bar to try to stop the fight. Earlier in the evening, he said, Gerrard had approached the bar staff for help changing the music "but none was given". He saw Gerrard walking back to the restaurant area "in a huff" after his music request was refused.
Later, he saw Gerrard and McGee speaking to each other across the bar. "Marcus looked puzzled at first," Lockie said. "There was an argument or an exchange of words."
He said John Doran, whom he assumed was Gerrard's minder, struck McGee with an elbow and the fight began from there. McGee lost a front tooth crown in the attack, received a cut to the forehead and had hospital treatment following the incident in the early hours of 29 December last year.
Gerrard is expected to give evidence tomorrow.
