Football's dumbest criminals.....

Xavi6

http://www.sundaymirror.co.uk/news/sunday/2008/03/09/southampton-football-stars-bradley-wright-phillips-and-nathan-dyer-in-barmaid-bag-theft-scandal-98487-20345281/

Southampton football stars Bradley Wright-Phillips and Nathan Dyer in barmaid bag theft scandal

Mega-rich footballers laughed and joked as they joined in the looting of handbags belonging to £5.50-an-hour barmaids who had spent the night serving them cocktails.

These sickening images show how £8,000-a-week Bradley Wright-Phillips finds it funny watching his £5,000-a-week Southampton team mate Nathan Dyer and three pals go through the girls' bags.

Our exclusive, shocking footage reveals how the gang rummaged through belongings at the Bar Bluu nightclub in Portsmouth where the "Saints" stars had been given VIP treatment all evening.

Cctv images clearly show them rifling through handbags, coats and purses before exiting through a private back door after enjoying a free night watching R&B superstar Kano.

Their haul included three mobile phones, £145 in cash from three different handbags, student cards and even cigarettes.

It takes a barmaid at the club a week-and-a-half to earn that £145, but that's what Wright-Phillips - son of ex-England star Ian Wright - earns in just 27 MINUTES.

The shameful incident has been reported to Hampshire Police.

Yesterday barmaid Emma Parker, 18, whose phone was stolen, said: "It's pathetic. I work for just over the minimum wage but they earn thousands a week.

"I can't believe they would have the cheek to steal from someone like me. They are arrogant beyond belief to do this. They have obviously done it for kicks because they don't need the money. They have acted in a really callous way.

"They are treated like heroes but this shows they are actually scumbags."

Fellow barmaid and law student Noo Kristin, 18, had £60 stolen from her bag. The other contents were thrown on the floor.

Noo said: "It's totally sickening that they would steal from me. For someone who earns 80 times what I earn to be involved in stealing from me is just horrible."

Wright-Phillips, 22, and Dyer, 20, went to see Kano perform at the seafront club with a gang of pals.

The group were given the full VIP treatment during their night out on February 27. They were shown into a roped-off section where they were plied with champagne and cocktails.

And when they were ready to leave at around 3am, they were allowed to use the back entrance to avoid the crowds. This took them past the unlocked staff room.

What they didn't realise was that their every move was being captured on two CCTV cameras.

The pictures show a blow-by-blow account of the shameful scenes unfolding. At 3.03:16 on Thursday February 28 Kano is seen walking down a private corridor with his entourage as he leaves the club.

The footballers and friends follow, but one of the gang, in a white jumper, sees the open door of the staff room. He beckons his mates to follow him. Seconds later Dyer goes into the room. One man still outside holds the door at 3:03:46 to the club to stop anyone coming through.

Two men are seen sniggering outside the room while Dyer heads straight to a table and starts rummaging through a bag. One of the gang keeps watch by the door.

Cctv footage from a second camera in the corridor shows that at 3.05:02 an accomplice put his arm across the corridor to block a barmaid from going to the staff room and he chats to her so the gang can avoid being caught.

A man in a white T-shirt is seen digging around in a black handbag while another shows off a mobile phone to his pals.

Dyer then thrusts his hand into a handbag while nonchalantly resting his other arm on his friend.

Wright-Phillips pokes his head round the door before disappearing outside but at 3.05:19 he is clearly seen back in the room grinning broadly as he watches his friends rooting through clothes and bags.

Wright-Phillips and Dyer laugh and sneer as their friends pocket mobile phones and trample the girls' coats on the floor. Wright Phillips is not seen with his hand in a bag. Nearly three minutes pass before the group finally leave at 3.06:57.

Barmaid Noo added: "I wish I hadn't seen the CCTV footage because when I did, I felt physically sick. You can see them trampling on my coat and chucking my things around."

Two days after the theft, a jiffy bag was delivered to the nightclub with Emma's mobile phone inside. There was no Sim card or memory card - just a simple post-it note which read, "Emma's phone. Sorry".

Emma said: "It just makes matters worse. They must have known the Nokia handset belonged to someone called Emma because there's a welcome message when you turn it on that says, 'Emma's phone'. All the numbers have been lost and the photos are gone."

Bar Bluu general manager Chris Sheridan said: "When you see the players and their mates on these images, they look like a plague of locusts swarming all over the girls' things. It is utterly disgusting.

"The first I heard of the theft was at 4am. As I went through the CCTV footage the next day, I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

"Two of these people are professional football players who earn a lot of money. It's shocking behaviour and even though they had been drinking a bit, they still knew what they were doing. My staff are sickened that people had been through their belongings, and when the involvement of footballers was discovered their pain was amplified."

"Having your mobile phone stolen is distressing - people start worrying when they can't get in touch with you."

Mr Sheridan said he phoned Southampton Football Club when he recognised Wright-Phillips and Dyer on the CCTV tape. He was finally put through to Caaren Loten, head of media at the club. He said that the next day Chief Executive Lee Hoos called him.

He added: "The Chief Executive appeared keen to make sure that some form of apology and compensation would be forthcoming from the players seen to be involved. But following my conversation with him I heard nothing.

"On the Friday (nine days ago) I had a call from two representatives of Wright-Phillips who each voiced their surprise and appeared to want to make some offer of recompense but I've heard nothing since. Despite ample opportunity, it is shocking that none of those involved or associated have made clear or decisive efforts to rectify this situation so on March 5 we reported this to the police."

Southampton Football Club yesterday refused to comment on the incident, despite several calls from the Sunday Mirror. The club rejected an offer to view our CCTV footage.

A spokeswoman for Hampshire Police said: "We are currently investigating allegations of theft at Bar Bluu. No arrests have been made and this incident is still under investigation."

Promising winger Dyer is currently out of the team due to ongoing rehabilitation for an ankle injury. Wright-Phillips is a star striker for Saints, and one of their most high-profile players. He started yesterday's championship game at Blackpool on the bench.

The images will shock soccer legend, England and Arsenal star Ian Wright.

Stuart Peters, an agent acting for Bradley Wright-Phillips, told the Sunday Mirror last night: "We're very relaxed about this.

"I have seen the footage and it's quite clear that Bradley Wright-Phillips was not involved.

"He hasn't taken a single thing."

WTF were they at? Absolutely sick that they would do this sort of sh*t. The video in the link is pretty conclusive so no case for the defence really.

Glenn Johnson robbing a toilet seat was funny, this is just disgusting.

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Waaay too many adjectives in that for me.

I know you're in Aussie, but surely you could find something more objective to read than the Sunday Mirror?!

Xavi6

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

Waaay too many adjectives in that for me.

I know you're in Aussie, but surely you could find something more objective to read than the Sunday Mirror?!

Actually if you must know I am also a regular contributor to a Manchester City fans forum and as Bradley Wright-Phillips used to play for us there was a thread on the story. Does that meet you approval a bit more?

zuchum

Footballers being idiots,I never!

The Daily Mirror having a story about said footballers featuring pictures of attractive barmaids with a bra that you can just about make out...classic


It's really bad and all,but I dont see how its any worse than some normal thug doing that kind of thing...

Xavi6

zuchum wrote: »

Footballers being idiots,I never!

The Daily Mirror having a story about said footballers featuring pictures of attractive barmaids with a bra that you can just about make out...classic


It's really bad and all,but I dont see how its any worse than some normal thug doing that kind of thing...

Who said it was any worse? Of course it's the exact same but these guys are 'celebrities' (yes I use the term very loosely with these two) and will probably get a slap on the wrist form their clubs and a warning from the police. Would the same lenience be afforded to the regular thug?

Plus these lads are on five and eight grand respectively. Is there really any need to be at this sort of sh*t?

zuchum

Xavi6 wrote: »

Who said it was any worse? Of course it's the exact same but these guys are 'celebrities' (yes I use the term very loosely with these two) and will probably get a slap on the wrist form their clubs and a warning from the police. Would the same lenience be afforded to the regular thug?

Plus these lads are on five and eight grand respectively. Is there really any need to be at this sort of sh*t?

Theres no need at all,like you say, they are just dumb...


But tbh I think a regular person caught doing this wouldn't tend to get much more than a warning than th epolice either,cos they wouldnt be arsed going through all the hassle. Well,have fun languishing in the Championship Bradley,you absolute bastard.

GuanYin

watch the abuse

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

Xavi6 wrote: »

Actually if you must know I am also a regular contributor to a Manchester City fans forum and as Bradley Wright-Phillips used to play for us there was a thread on the story. Does that meet you approval a bit more?

It was meant tongue-in-cheek! Anyway, it just sounded ilke you belived a wee bit too much of it.

Xavi6

Ikky Poo2 wrote: »

It was meant tongue-in-cheek! Anyway, it just sounded ilke you belived a wee bit too much of it.

Well I believe what I can see on camera so....

_blank_

Ridiculous carry on tbh.

R&B superstar Kano.

Who?