April 6, 2001

April 6, 2001 (Friday) from Yahoo!

Leeds' Woodgate and Duberry found not guilty

HULL (Reuters) - Leeds United footballer Michael Duberry has walked free after being cleared along with team mate Jonathan Woodgate and two of Woodgate's friends of conspiring to pervert the course of justice.

But the jury at Hull Crown Court has still to reach a verdict on serious assault charges faced by Woodgate and a third Leeds footballer Lee Bowyer, and the two friends, Neale Caveney and Paul Clifford.

Judge David Poole sent the jurors home and they will continue their deliberations on Friday.

Duberry dropped his head in relief when the jury gave its verdicts on the conspiracy counts at the end of a second day of discussion.

The player embraced Woodgate, a man who he described during the eight-week trial as probably his best friend at the club

Duberry's solicitor John Perry said outside the court he could not comment on the verdict until the end of the trial.

He told reporters: "Today ends a year for Michael Duberry. I can't say any more but Michael would wish to thank his advocates...

"You will forgive us for not saying any more today but given the nature of this case I will have a lot to say at the end of this trial."

Woodgate and Bowyer are accused of beating an Asian student Sarfraz Najeib unconscious in January 2000.

CHARGES DENIED

They face jail if convicted of grievous bodily harm with intent. They have denied the charge and affray.

Duberry was the final defendant to give evidence and he said that he had initially lied to police to protect Woodgate.

He told the court that Woodgate had said he had been in a fight with a group of Asians on the night Najeib was punched and kicked senseless in Leeds city centre.

The 25-year-old said he had made the decision to give evidence only the previous night after seeking advice from Bowyer and Leeds United manager David O'Leary.

Duberry, a defender who has been injured since September, told the court he took Woodgate and his friends back to his home near Leeds where he gave two of them a change of clothes because someone had been sick on them in the car.

Prosecutors said Duberry was helping them hide incriminating evidence, but he told the court he had done nothing to hinder the police investigation.

Later in his evidence Duberry told the court Leeds United solicitor and director in charge of discipline, Peter McCormick, had advised him not to tell the truth to police about events on the night of the attack.

Duberry said he had wanted to come clean to police but McCormick advise him to "stay with the same statement".

A fifth man, Leeds reserve player Tony Hackworth, was cleared of involvement in the attack on March 7 after the judge instructed the jury to find him not guilty.

The trial is in Hull, 80 km east of Leeds.

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