King jailed for 18 months

Latics striker found guilty of assault after unanimous verdict

Last updated: 29th October 2009   Subscribe to RSS Feed

King jailed for 18 months

King: Guilty

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Wigan striker Wigan striker Marlon King has been jailed for 18 months after being found guilty of a nightclub attack on a young woman.

King, who was celebrating both his wife's pregnancy and scoring a winning goal hours earlier, was repeatedly "cold-shouldered" by women revellers in London's packed Soho Revue Bar last December.

When a slightly-built university student became the latest to recoil from his touch, he lost his temper and in an outburst of "completely gratuitous violence" lashed out, "smashing" her to the floor.

His single clenched fist blow was so powerful that two other revellers - one of them holding on to his arm - were also sent flying.

While bouncers moved in to restrain the muscular £5million striker, friends rushed to the aid of his victim.

As she was helped to her feet, blood poured from her shattered nose, London's Southwark Crown Court heard.

The 29-year-old claimed he was a victim of "mistaken identity".

But after hearing overwhelming evidence from a string of witnesses, including a football coach who insisted he was the assailant, the jury decided he was lying.

He was unanimously convicted of sexually assaulting the 20-year-old and causing actual bodily harm.

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