The majority of sporting indiscretions are dealt with by a codes judiciary panel, but a rugby player has been sentenced to 16 months in prison after a savage kick caved in his opponents head.
Paviors number 8 David Smith, touched down for a try against Leesbrook Rugby Club and instead of celebrating the five-pointer, he was met with a damaging kick to the face by opposition captain John Scowby, who was certainly not leading by example.
The devastating kick from 25-year-old Scowby, has forced Smith to undergo reconstructive surgery. The surgery he has received so far, and will need in the future is expected to incur costs in the region of £10,000.
The cowardly act occurred just months before Smith was due to be married, causing Smith to ask his fiancee whether she still wanted to marry him.
Smith now requires a piece of bone from his hip to be put in his mouth to straighten it. The injury means that Smith will never be able to play rugby again.
Scowby initially told police that the kick was “an accident” but later pleaded guilty to the unprovoked attack. In sentencing, it was revealed that Scowby yelled out “take that” directly after the kick and also told a bloodied Smith that “I owed you” after the match.
Scowby’s lawyer Alwyn Jones suggested the player had “no propensity for violence” insisting it was simply a “moment of madness.”
Chairman of Leesbrook Rugby Club, Andrew Brown, said Scowby had been banned from playing rugby after the incident was reported and that the club did not condone his actions.
“No-one but John knows why he did what he did, but he is a genuinely lovely bloke who, I believe, acted totally out of character on that day.”
The incident is not the first time a player has been jailed for on-field indiscretions. Nicholas Williams received a year-long sentence in August for a kick that snapped his opponents leg in two and in 2015 footballer Nathaniel Kerr received a twelve-month jail term for a sickening “50-50” challenge on Stuart Parsons which forced the father of two to shut down his business.
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