In a dramatic courtroom showdown at Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, Manchester United legend Roy Keane testified in the trial against Scott Law, a 43-year-old football fan accused of assaulting Keane during a Premier League match last September.
CCTV footage presented in court showed the aftermath of the incident, which occurred during the closing stages of United’s clash with Arsenal.
The Incident
According to the prosecution, Law allegedly headbutted Keane after a controversial VAR decision went in Arsenal’s favour.
Prosecutor Simon Jones described the attack as “shocking and unlawful,” suggesting that Law’s actions were a direct response to seeing Keane celebrate a United goal, which was later disallowed.
The footage captures Keane being knocked backwards through a set of doors, sustaining bruises on his chest and arms.
Keane, who was commentating on the match alongside Micah Richards, testified that the attack left him missing the final two goals of the game, though he emphasized, “that was the least of my worries.”
Differing Accounts
Law, however, presented a starkly different version of events. He claimed he was merely rushing to the toilet when he encountered Keane, who allegedly approached him aggressively, calling him a “fatty.”
Law argued that he acted in self-defence, using his head to fend off Keane’s purportedly hostile advance.
“There was simply no justification for the defendant’s violence. We say he was clearly the aggressor,” prosecutor Simon Jones asserted.
In contrast, Law’s defence barrister, Charles Sherrard KC, painted a picture of Keane losing his temper after the unfavourable VAR decision, suggesting that Keane’s anger was further fuelled by taunts from Arsenal fans.
The Elbow Incident
A pivotal piece of evidence was a slow-motion clip presented by the defence, which purportedly shows Keane throwing an “upper cut elbow” at Law’s nose.
Sherrard confronted Keane in court, accusing him of using “gratuitous violence.” Keane, however, denied the allegation, insisting that he was attempting to prevent Law from fleeing the scene, even as the video seemed to suggest otherwise.
“How are you stopping someone getting away with an elbow to the face?” Sherrard asked. Keane responded, “I’ve got bags in my hands, I was trying to grab him, to stop him from getting out. I must have said nine or ten times, someone call the police.”
Testimonies and Evidence
Micah Richards, who was present during the incident, was quoted in the footage reacting with shock and calling for Law’s arrest.
“Are you crazy? Are you f***ing mad? Say sorry,” Richards was heard saying, followed by, “Someone needs to arrest him, he’s just assaulted Roy Keane, don’t let him go.”
Richards is expected to provide his testimony on Friday, which could prove crucial in establishing the sequence of events and the actions of both parties involved.
You can watch the footage of the incident below, courtesy of Mirror Football:
📽️ Watch unblurred CCTV footage as Roy Keane is accused of elbowing the Arsenal fan who 'headbutted' him during a match at the Emirates last September pic.twitter.com/ZVUCnFKMpV
— Mirror Football (@MirrorFootball) May 30, 2024
The Trial Continues
As the trial progresses, the court is set to hear further testimonies and review additional evidence to determine the credibility of the claims from both sides.
Scott Law continues to deny the charge of common assault, maintaining that his actions were purely defensive. The outcome of this high-profile case remains to be seen.
