Man tells court of ‘attack’ by Gerrard

LONDON – The businessman allegedly attacked by Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard in a bar room brawl told a court yesterday he faced a ‘barrage’ of blows from the player when he refused to hand over control of a CD player.

Marcus McGee, 34, lost a front tooth crown in the attack in the early hours of December 29 last year, Liverpool Crown Court heard.McGee, who was initially attacked by one of Gerrard’s friends, said he thought the 29-year-old England midfielder struck the first blow, the Press Association reported.’I remember a barrage of punches coming in at my face but I didn’t know who has done what,’ he said.’Having watched the CCTV it was obvious Steven Gerrard hits me a couple of times, maybe three times but I couldn’t honestly say on the night. I didn’t know who did what.’McGee, who was in charge of music for the night at the Lounge Bar in Southport near Liverpool, said he had refused to let Gerrard take control of a CD player.Gerrard later returned when McGee was sitting alone at the bar and swore at him.’In my statement I didn’t recall the conversation but looking at my hand movements I was asking him how he would react if somebody came up to him and wanted to take something off him in a manner I found to be rude,’ McGee told the court.On Tuesday, the court was shown security camera footage of Gerrard talking to McGee before one of Gerrard’s co-defendants elbowed the businessman. The prosecution then said Gerrard hit the businessman with the ‘style and speed of a professional boxer’.The jury was also told Gerrard admitted hitting McGee but said he was acting in self defence, unaware the businessman had already been struck.’I didn’t throw any punches, I wasn’t acting aggressively, I didn’t hit anyone at all,’ McGee told the court yesterday.Gerrard was arrested on the night — a day after he scored twice in a 5-1 win away to Newcastle United — and later pleaded not guilty to a charge of affray.The Liverpool player’s six co-defendants have already pleaded guilty to being involved in the brawl. – Nampa-Reuters