Football

Aurier sentenced to two months

A French court sentenced Paris St Germain defender Serge Aurier to two months in jail on Monday over a run-in with police as he left a night club in May, his lawyer said.

The 23-year-old Ivory Coast national, who had pleaded not guilty to charges of acting violently towards a police officer, remained free pending an appeal. He was also fined 600 euros ($675).

Police said the altercation took place shortly before dawn after Aurier left a night club in the Champs Elysees area of Paris.

"We're appealing. Mr Aurier contests the findings. He's not guilty and must be acquitted," lawyer Claire Boutard de la Combe told reporters.

Aurier was suspended by PSG in February for several weeks for insulting team coach Laurent Blanc.

The 23-year-old is accused of assaulting the officer after he was pulled over in May, and asked to take a breath test.

Aurier, who was alleged to have elbowed the officer in the chest, has claimed in an interview that he was "brutalised" by the police, and subsequent reports have claimed that he will appeal the court's decision.

“It was violent,” Aurier said on French television in June. “The police officers got out of the car, insulted me, brutalised me, my lip was smashed.

“What's even worse is that the police officer said I had elbowed him in the thorax. If I wanted to touch him, I would have punched him in the face. He did though, struck me several times in the face.”

Comments

Aurier sentenced to two months

A French court sentenced Paris St Germain defender Serge Aurier to two months in jail on Monday over a run-in with police as he left a night club in May, his lawyer said.

The 23-year-old Ivory Coast national, who had pleaded not guilty to charges of acting violently towards a police officer, remained free pending an appeal. He was also fined 600 euros ($675).

Police said the altercation took place shortly before dawn after Aurier left a night club in the Champs Elysees area of Paris.

"We're appealing. Mr Aurier contests the findings. He's not guilty and must be acquitted," lawyer Claire Boutard de la Combe told reporters.

Aurier was suspended by PSG in February for several weeks for insulting team coach Laurent Blanc.

The 23-year-old is accused of assaulting the officer after he was pulled over in May, and asked to take a breath test.

Aurier, who was alleged to have elbowed the officer in the chest, has claimed in an interview that he was "brutalised" by the police, and subsequent reports have claimed that he will appeal the court's decision.

“It was violent,” Aurier said on French television in June. “The police officers got out of the car, insulted me, brutalised me, my lip was smashed.

“What's even worse is that the police officer said I had elbowed him in the thorax. If I wanted to touch him, I would have punched him in the face. He did though, struck me several times in the face.”

Comments