Roy Keane gestured to meet fan outside after banter turned aggressive – court

Former Manchester United midfielder Roy Keane gestured towards an Arsenal fan during a football match to “meet him outside” after “banter turned more aggressive”, a court has heard.

Scott Law, 43, has pleaded not guilty to a charge of common assault against Mr Keane relating to an incident on September 3rd last year following Arsenal’s 3-1 victory over Manchester United.

The ex-Ireland international, who was working as a pundit for Sky Sports, was allegedly headbutted through doors at the Emirates Stadium by Law, of Waltham Abbey, Essex.

Law’s defence team alleged that CCTV footage from inside the stadium, shown in court, displayed Mr Keane elbowing the defendant in the face.

Under cross-examination, the police officer in charge of the case told Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court on Thursday that there may have been contact from Mr Keane, but it “does not look like a deliberate elbow to the face”.

Referring to the footage, defence barrister Charles Sherrard KC asked the officer: “What possible explanation can there be for raising your elbow at that speed to hold someone?”

Detective Constable Phil Dickinson, from the Metropolitan Police’s sporting investigations unit, replied: “In my opinion, he’s gone to grab hold of him.”

He added: “There may have been contact, but it does not look like a deliberate elbow to the face in my opinion.”

Mr Sherrard said this was “absolute nonsense” and accused the officer of “lying”, alleging that police “had done nothing” to investigate evidence pointing away from Law, who was sat beneath the Sky Sports studio at Arsenal’s stadium during the game.

Further CCTV footage shown in court appeared to show Law exiting and running away from the Emirates Stadium on the day of the incident.

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