This man deliberately groomed and manipulated his child victim using his fame and status - he has twisted and turned, manipulated, minimised, and blame shifted. He and his Defence team have used every trick in the sex offender book.
On no level is there any excuse for his behaviour or anything admirable about the man. So why anyone would try and minimise, excuse and blame shift on his behalf is beyond me!
If he is found guilty I hope he gets locked away for a long time.
This man deliberately groomed and manipulated his child victim using his fame and status - he has twisted and turned, manipulated, minimised, and blame shifted. He and his Defence team have used every trick in the sex offender book.
On no level is there any excuse for his behaviour or anything admirable about the man. So why anyone would try and minimise, excuse and blame shift on his behalf is beyond me!
If he is found guilty I hope he gets locked away for a long time.
Perhaps being sent to the naughty step would be more apt
This man deliberately groomed and manipulated his child victim using his fame and status - he has twisted and turned, manipulated, minimised, and blame shifted. He and his Defence team have used every trick in the sex offender book.
On no level is there any excuse for his behaviour or anything admirable about the man. So why anyone would try and minimise, excuse and blame shift on his behalf is beyond me!
If he is found guilty I hope he gets locked away for a long time.
Perhaps being sent to the naughty step would be more apt
On no level is there any excuse for his behaviour or anything admirable about the man. So why anyone would try and minimise, excuse and blame shift on his behalf is beyond me!
According to statement by Sunderland AFC he was still playing when arrested because he had not told the club he was admitting guilty so some of the charges. SAFC said thy would have terminated his contract immediately had they known this.
Judge Jonathan Rose has warned Johnson he faces a potential prison sentence of five years. The judge said his preliminary view was that the case falls into the category of a five-year prison sentence with a range of four to 10 years. He said: "The defendant must understand there is a very high probability of a significant custodial sentence."
Johnson told the court the club knew he had kissed the girl, but in a statement issued after the verdict Sunderland denied the claim.
Sunderland's statement said: "Had the club known that Mr Johnson intended to plead guilty to any of these charges then his employment would have been terminated immediately.
The court heard that, far from taking the club by surprise, Sunderland knew within two months of his arrest that he had admitted kissing and sending explicit messages to the underage schoolgirl. The club had copies of the 834 WhatsApp messages the pair had sent each other, and transcripts of both their police interviews.
“I told them everything,” Johnson said in the witness box at Bradford crown court.
The court was told that Sunderland’s chief executive, Margaret Byrne, a former solicitor, gave the footballer’s counsel, Orlando Pownall QC, the transcripts and WhatsApp messages at a meeting in Newcastle on 4 May 2015. Johnson, who was at the meeting with his father, Dave, said there was never a suggestion that he would be sacked by the club.
He continued playing until the weekend before his trial, scoring in a 2-2 draw away at Liverpool. Four days later, after signing the sex offender register following his guilty pleas, Johnson received a a two-line email from the club tearing up his contract. On his reported wages, Johnson had earned £2.7m since his suspension was lifted, not including his £10,000-a-season Adidas boot sponsorship, which was also terminated following his guilty pleas.
Simply cannot be allowed to happen again, someone at SFC needs to take responsibility and resign.
The timings troubled me greatly as, being familiar with the legal process, there is no way it would have come as a complete surprise to the Club. By then they would have access to a huge amount of evidence. This is confirmed by Pownall QC.
Looks to me like they took the decision to protect their sporting interests at the expense of their moral responsibilites. Don't see any other possible conclusion. When I raised this earlier in the thread, someone used the example of one of our own players and the right of innocence until proven guilty. My view is that a football club has to err on the side of caution and suspend the player accused if their is any doubt as to the player's complete innocence. A draconian move perhaps, but in the context, one I think is completely justified.
Comments
On no level is there any excuse for his behaviour or anything admirable about the man. So why anyone would try and minimise, excuse and blame shift on his behalf is beyond me!
If he is found guilty I hope he gets locked away for a long time.
I might give her a ring, shoulder to cry on and all that.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/live-adam-johnson-awaits-verdict-7476143
I personally believe he is guilty as sin
Nonce.
"Judge tells Johnson custodial sentence is "almost inevitable"."
Sunderland's statement said: "Had the club known that Mr Johnson intended to plead guilty to any of these charges then his employment would have been terminated immediately.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-35711213
Shame on you Margaret Byrne, shame on you Sunderland
The court heard that, far from taking the club by surprise, Sunderland knew within two months of his arrest that he had admitted kissing and sending explicit messages to the underage schoolgirl. The club had copies of the 834 WhatsApp messages the pair had sent each other, and transcripts of both their police interviews.
“I told them everything,” Johnson said in the witness box at Bradford crown court.
The court was told that Sunderland’s chief executive, Margaret Byrne, a former solicitor, gave the footballer’s counsel, Orlando Pownall QC, the transcripts and WhatsApp messages at a meeting in Newcastle on 4 May 2015. Johnson, who was at the meeting with his father, Dave, said there was never a suggestion that he would be sacked by the club.
He continued playing until the weekend before his trial, scoring in a 2-2 draw away at Liverpool. Four days later, after signing the sex offender register following his guilty pleas, Johnson received a a two-line email from the club tearing up his contract. On his reported wages, Johnson had earned £2.7m since his suspension was lifted, not including his £10,000-a-season Adidas boot sponsorship, which was also terminated following his guilty pleas.
Simply cannot be allowed to happen again, someone at SFC needs to take responsibility and resign.
The timings troubled me greatly as, being familiar with the legal process, there is no way it would have come as a complete surprise to the Club. By then they would have access to a huge amount of evidence. This is confirmed by Pownall QC.
Looks to me like they took the decision to protect their sporting interests at the expense of their moral responsibilites. Don't see any other possible conclusion. When I raised this earlier in the thread, someone used the example of one of our own players and the right of innocence until proven guilty. My view is that a football club has to err on the side of caution and suspend the player accused if their is any doubt as to the player's complete innocence. A draconian move perhaps, but in the context, one I think is completely justified.
(And the geezer walking into and out of court with him, like he was his fuckin minder, 1 word = Si)