Footage has emerged which shows the moment Roy Keane allegedly elbowed a football fan during a brawl at the Emirates Stadium last year. The incident took place inside the Highbury Bar after Keane was allegedly headbutted by the fan during a game between Arsenal and Manchester United.
Keane was attending the match as a pundit alongside Micah Richards, who was seen holding the fan by the collar while dragging him away from the scene. While restraining the fan, Richards was heard saying: “Are you crazy? Are you f***ing mad? Say sorry.”
Highbury Corner Magistrates’ Court heard that Keane was celebrating a United goal against Arsenal when he was allegedly attacked by Scott Law, 43. Footage now shows the former Red Devils captain allegedly throwing an elbow at Law in the aftermath of the scuffle.
Law told the court that he was rushing to the toilet when Keane ambushed him and called him a ‘fat c**t’. His defence lawyer Charles Sherrard KC accused Keane of taking ‘glory’ in his reputation as a ‘hard man’ and suggested he had used ‘gratuitous violence’ by allegedly elbowing Law.
The lawyer said: “How are you stopping somebody getting away with an elbow to the face with your bent arm? That was your way of retaliating. You were the only person who delivered any unlawful violence. There was no need for that, was there? That injury to Mr Law’s nose was caused by you, in that way, in that moment.”
Keane denied those accusations, telling the court that he was simply trying to stop Law from getting away as he said: “I was assaulted in the workplace as a pundit and I was trying to stop him getting away. That was my only intention.
“The only way I can describe it is that I was in shock. I didn’t expect it to happen, not when I was in my workplace. We missed the final two goals but that was the least of my worries.”
Keane told the court that he saw Law being restrained by Richards, explaining that his fellow pundit was attempting to make sure the fan did not ‘run off’. Keane then started shouting for somebody to call the police as Richards loosened his grip on Law, who fled.
The former United midfielder added that he suffered bruising on his chest and arms as a result of the incident. Law was arrested the following day and denies a charge of common assault. The trial continues.
