Footballer admits burglary at bar

Nathan Dyer said he was ashamed after admitting burglary

A Championship footballer has been ordered to carry out community service after admitting a burglary at a Portsmouth nightclub.

Southampton winger Nathan Dyer pleaded guilty to non-dwelling burglary.

He was arrested in March after items including mobile phones and �145 in cash were taken from Bar Bluu nightclub, Southsea, on 28 February.

At Portsmouth Magistrates' Court, Dyer, 20, of Briton Street, Southampton, was given 60 hours' community service.

He was also told to pay �392.50 in compensation to the four victims, who were members of staff at the nightclub, as well as �65 costs.

He has damaged his career prospects by placing himself in this position Mark Haslam Nathan Dyer's solicitor

The four members of staff reported having a total of �145 in cash, two mobile phones, a driving licence and bank cards stolen from three handbags left in the staffroom, the court heard.

Dyer, who was also a member of Southampton's youth team, told the court he was ashamed after admitting burglary.

He was caught on CCTV among a group of men rummaging through the bags, and the footage was shown to the court.

'Public humiliation'

He said he did not steal any of the items during the incident.

Dyer's solicitor, Mark Haslam, said: "Nathan Dyer accepts that he did look through the bags, although he did not enter the room intending to do so and he did not take any property from these bags.

"While he has a successful career as a professional footballer, he is young and naive and on the evening in question he had been drinking.

"Understandably his judgment was affected by having taken alcohol. He can't explain what he did, he simply didn't think straight.

"He was being encouraged by others, he was led astray."

Mr Haslam said Dyer offered his "humble and profuse apologies to all those who have been distressed by this sorry enterprise".

"He has suffered public humiliation. It's a millstone that will hang around his neck for some time to come.

"He has damaged his career prospects by placing himself in this position for those minutes of madness which have changed his life."

On Thursday it was announced that Dyer had signed a new three-year contract with Southampton, which would keep him at the club until 2011.

He has recently been on a week-to-week deal and had been ordered to train on his own while he considered his future.

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version