Essex: Footballer sentenced for battery

01/02/2011

A professional footballer has been sentenced to a 24 month community order after being found guilty of battery.

Lee Sawyer, 21, who has just signed for Southend United FC, had previously denied the offence, which occurred on September 15, 2010, at an earlier hearing.

But following a trial, he was found guilty of causing a cut to his former partners lip and he was sentenced at Harlow Magistrates Court today (Feb 1, 2011).

The court heard how Sawyer had gone to the house of his former partner in Loughton, and had an altercation with her in the hallway. His sister Haley Sawyer, also from the Loughton area, also got involved and injured the former partner and her mother in the process. She has been convicted of the same offence.

Sawyer has received a community order with 24 months supervision as well as the integrated domestic violence programme. He must also undertake 100 hours of community service, pay £100 compensation to the victim and £750 legal costs.

He has also received a restraining order for two years.

Reviewing lawyer for the CPS Jenny Swift said: We take all acts of violence very seriously and are committed to prosecuting these types of offences through the courts. Sawyer went to the house of his former partner purely to cause a problem and had no regard for his former partners safety or that of their children who were in the house at the time of the offence.

Haley Sawyer received a 12 week custodial sentence, suspended for 18 months. She also received an 18 month supervision order and was ordered to pay £40 compensation to each victim.