Footballer spared jail over club brawl

West Bromwich Albion player Joe Mattock, 20, was given a suspended sentence for punching two men and two women in Liquid Envy in Church Gate, Leicester, on August 30, 2009.

Leicester Crown Court heard that Mattock, who was 19 at the time, hit out after he was given “grief” over a transfer from Leicester City.

The Leicester-born player joined West Brom last August for 1m, causing anger among many Leicester fans.

The defender, of Grove Road, Leicester, pleaded guilty to a charge of affray at Leicester Crown Court in July. Yesterday, at the same court, he was handed 10 months detention, suspended for two years. He was also ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work, and to pay 1,500 costs.

Judge Michael Pert QC told the footballer: “It’s plain from what we have seen that you were not able to handle whatever was said to you on that occasion and your behaviour was disgraceful.”

He told Mattock he would not be awarding compensation to his victims.”

The incident, described by the judge as an “explosive few moments”, was captured on closed circuit TV cameras in the Liquid Envy nightclub.

The court heard that Mattock got talking to one of the victims at the bar, when her boyfriend approached him and was seen to say something to him, sparking Mattock to throw a punch.

He then also hit the woman, and closed circuit TV footage showed him hitting another woman and man.

James Thomas, prosecuting, told the court the footballer left the club “fairly swiftly”, then swapped his T-shirt with a friend to avoid being spotted.

But two days later, on September 1, Mattock handed himself in to police.

Stuart Driver QC, mitigating, told the court Mattock, who had no previous convictions or cautions, was filled with remorse and shame.