Jailed Wigan striker Marlon King will appeal against sexual assault conviction, claims agent
London, 30 October 2009: Marlon King is reportedly preparing to appeal against his conviction and 18-month prison sentence for sexual assault and actual bodily harm.
The Wigan striker was found guilty and jailed on Thursday over an incident which took place in a London nightclub in
December while he was on loan at Hull.
He learned within hours of his conviction that his club have decided to sack him – and it was also made clear that his
chances of rehabilitation depend entirely upon his acceptance of his problems and wrong-doing.
King’s agent Tony Finnegan, however, spelled out that his client apparently has no intention of conceding his guilt.
‘No one saw this coming in light of the evidence,’ Finnegan told BBC Radio 5 Live.
‘He’s very, very disappointed – because clearly, as he said in his evidence, it’s mistaken identity. He didn’t do that.
‘He’ll be devastated, sitting in a cell with someone tonight. But he’s a grown man; he’s been there before and he’ll take it on the chin.
‘I asked Marlon and he said “I’m not guilty, Tony – I didn’t do it. I want the British justice system to find me not guilty”.’
Finnegan – who also expressed disappointment at Wigan’s decision and the failure of the Professional Footballers’
Association to support King – is already considering the player’s options, should his appeal be successful in securing an
early release.
Wigan chairman Dave Whelan confirmed King will never play for his club again.
‘We have to follow the rules and regulations, which means we will have to give him 14 days’ notice that his contract will be cancelled,’ said Whelan.
‘He is absolutely sacked – we will not tolerate football players who get sent to jail for 18 months. As far as we are concerned, he is finished with football at Wigan Athletic.’
King was last year celebrating both his wife’s pregnancy and scoring a winning goal hours earlier when he was repeatedly “cold-shouldered” by women revellers in London’s packed Soho Revue Bar.
When a slightly-built university student became the latest to recoil from his touch, he lost his temper and in an outburst of “completely gratuitous violence” lashed out, “smashing” her to the floor, London’s Southwark Crown Court heard.
The 29-year-old, from Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, claimed he was a victim of “mistaken identity”.
But after hearing overwhelming evidence from a string of witnesses, including a football coach who insisted he was the
assailant, the jury decided he was lying.
King also served five months behind bars in 2002 after being caught at the wheel of a stolen £30,000 BMW – while he has found himself in the dock on seven previous occasions for dishonesty, various motoring offences and violence against women.
Stats Zone
Asked whether help for King will be forthcoming should he seek it on his release, Peter Kay – of the Sporting Chance
rehabilitation clinic – explained the player must do so in good faith.
‘This will give Marlon time to reflect on his life in prison and the ramifications of his actions,’ said Kay.
‘We would support any person who is willing to address their issues and become a better person.’
California white supremacist sentenced to death SANTA ANA, California – A jury recommended the death penalty for a white supremacist killer who told his victim’s mother “sorry for your luck.”
Billy Joe Johnson, was convicted for the murder of a fellow gang member who divulged gang secrets on Fox television.
Johnson, 46, was found guilty Oct. 14 of one felony count each of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and accessory after the fact.
The sentencing enhancements for criminal street gang activity, the vicarious discharge of a firearm by a gang member causing death, murder by lying in wait, and murder committed for a criminal street gang purpose were found true.
Johnson has three prior strike convictions for a 1983 residential burglary, 1989 robbery, and for beating an inmate in
prison in 1995. He is currently serving a sentence of 45 years to life in prison for a 2006 conviction for a 2004 gang related murder.
Johnson was charged with this murder on Aug. 23, 2007, after the conviction of two previously charged co-defendants. He is scheduled to be formally sentenced on Nov. 20.
Co-defendants Michael Allen Lamb, 35, and Jacob Anthony Rump, 34, were convicted by a jury on July 10, 2007, of
murder, conspiracy to commit murder, committing murder for the benefit of a criminal street gang, two counts of possession of a firearm by a violent felon, two counts of possession of a firearm by a felon, carrying a firearm as an active gang member, two counts of street terrorism, and the attempted murder of a peace officer.
The jury also found true the special circumstance of murder committed for the benefit of a criminal street gang and
sentencing enhancements for criminal street gang activity, the personal discharge of a firearm causing death, and vicarious discharge of a firearm causing death as a gang member.
Johnson was convicted for the murder of Scott Miller.
”In February 2001, Fox 11 News profiled a violent white supremacist criminal street gang, focusing on a pending
criminal case against known leaders of the gang who were on trial for conspiracy to commit murder,” Orange County DA’s office said.
Scott Miller, a founding member of the gang, was featured in the broadcast, offending fellow gang members who felt he was airing “dirty laundry.”
While Miller’s voice and face were disguised, his tattoos were visible and made it possible for fellow gang members to
identify him.
On March 8, 2002, Miller was at a party in Costa Mesa with other members of his white supremacist gang.
Johnson lured Miller from the party under the guise of purchasing drugs in Anaheim with the understanding that they
would return to the party later.
Johnson drove an unsuspecting Miller to an Anaheim apartment complex with the expectation that Lamb and Rump
would be waiting there to murder the victim.
Lamb and Rump were waiting in an alley and executed Miller by shooting him in the back of the head at close range with a 9mm firearm.
On March 11, 2002, Lamb and Rump became involved in a police car chase in Anaheim. They tried to flee from police,
jumped from the moving vehicle, and ran off into an apartment complex.
As the officers attempted to close in on them, the defendants fired a shot at police officers. Lamb and Rump surrendered after the gun they were firing jammed. The gun used to shoot at the officers was the same 9mm that was used to murder Miller three days earlier.
During the penalty phase of the jury trial against Johnson, he admitted to committing two additional murders to which he had not been previously connected.
Without giving the names of the victims, Johnson admitted that he had killed one additional man while out of custody and one inmate while in custody. He claimed that he directed violence toward gang members, rapists, “rats”, and drug
dealers.
Johnson testified that his victims brought their murders upon 
themselves and when asked if he had anything to say to
Miller’s mother, Johnson replied, “Sorry for your luck.”
Source: http://www.vancouverite.com
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