Angers attacking midfielder Farid El Melali has apologised after he was arrested earlier this week and charged with public masturbation.

Sources told ESPN on Wednesday that the Algeria international was spotted masturbating in the courtyard at his residence while looking at a woman living in a flat on the ground floor.

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Local police and Ligue 1 club Angers confirmed El Melali’s arrest without comment and the player has now issued a public apology for his actions.

“These last few days have been very hard — mentally and physically,” he said on Instagram. “Coping with criticism and judgement is tough. I understand that those who received the information cannot tolerate such behaviour.

“I want to apologise to my family, my friends and the fans of my dear club Angers, as well as my fellow Algerians.

Dan Thomas is joined by Craig Burley, Shaka Hislop and a host of other guests every day as football plots a path through the coronavirus crisis. Stream on ESPN+ (U.S. only).

“Everything that happened has affected me, but it has also made me stronger and more aware of the values and principles that I must uphold. Thank you to everybody who has stuck with me during this rough time.”

El Melali’s offence took place late on Monday and was seen by neighbours, who identified him as the man outside the woman’s flat looking through her window and called the police.

ESPN sources said it is the second time the midfielder has been arrested for similar offences and his lawyer Sandra Chirac Kollarik defended her client in Le Courrier de l’Ouest by saying that he was “not targeting anyone, nor was he aggressive.”

El Melali, who joined Angers in the summer of 2018 and recently signed a contract extension until 2023, is due to appear in court this summer and risks one year in prison and a €15,000 fine.

Angers attacking midfielder Farid El Melali has apologised after he was arrested earlier this week and charged with public masturbation.

Sources told ESPN on Wednesday that the Algeria international was spotted masturbating in the courtyard at his residence while looking at a woman living in a flat on the ground floor.

– Stream new episodes of ESPN FC Monday-Friday on ESPN+
– Stream every episode of 30 for 30: Soccer Stories on ESPN+

Local police and Ligue 1 club Angers confirmed El Melali’s arrest without comment and the player has now issued a public apology for his actions.

“These last few days have been very hard — mentally and physically,” he said on Instagram. “Coping with criticism and judgement is tough. I understand that those who received the information cannot tolerate such behaviour.

“I want to apologise to my family, my friends and the fans of my dear club Angers, as well as my fellow Algerians.

Dan Thomas is joined by Craig Burley, Shaka Hislop and a host of other guests every day as football plots a path through the coronavirus crisis. Stream on ESPN+ (U.S. only).

“Everything that happened has affected me, but it has also made me stronger and more aware of the values and principles that I must uphold. Thank you to everybody who has stuck with me during this rough time.”

El Melali’s offence took place late on Monday and was seen by neighbours, who identified him as the man outside the woman’s flat looking through her window and called the police.

ESPN sources said it is the second time the midfielder has been arrested for similar offences and his lawyer Sandra Chirac Kollarik defended her client in Le Courrier de l’Ouest by saying that he was “not targeting anyone, nor was he aggressive.”

El Melali, who joined Angers in the summer of 2018 and recently signed a contract extension until 2023, is due to appear in court this summer and risks one year in prison and a €15,000 fine.

Two Singaporean men have been charged with verbally abusing public servants in separate incidents during the coronavirus outbreak.

Eddie Neo Zhong Jie, 35, and Lew Wei Ming, 37, were each charged with one count of harassment in a district court on Wednesday.

The duo were among eight people – seven Singaporean men and a Taiwanese woman – who appeared in court that day over offences such as assault and failing to wear their masks over their noses and mouths when stepping outside. They are between 35 and 58 years old.

One of them, Mohamed Ali Ramly, 52, was allegedly caught on video verbally abusing a store supervisor with vulgarities and racist remarks.

He is said to have committed the offences when he went to Li Li Cheng Minimart at Block 651 Jurong West Street 61 at around 6pm last Friday.

Another alleged offender, Alan Lim, 55, is accused of slapping and shoving a service attendant at an Esso petrol station in Jervois Road at around 6pm on April 12.

The cases involving all eight alleged offenders are still pending.

According to court documents, Lew allegedly used “insulting words” on a police officer, Senior Staff Sergeant Don Ng Zhen Xuan, outside the School of the Arts in Zubir Said Drive near Orchard Road at around 4.30pm on April 16.

The police said in a statement on Wednesday evening that Lew had allegedly insulted the policeman after the officer issued him a notice of composition for not wearing a mask in the vicinity.

They added that Lew has since been issued a composition fine for failing to put on a mask.

Neo is accused of saying a vulgar word to Singapore Food Agency enforcement officer Muhammad Nazri Roseli at a coffee shop at Block 253 Jurong East Street 24, Yuhua Village, at around noon on April 13.

The police said Neo allegedly committed the offence during an enforcement check on illegal hawking at the eatery.

They added that he has also been issued a composition fine for illegal hawking, which is an offence under the Covid-19 (Temporary Measure) (Control Order) Regulations 2020.

They also said Neo had carried out a business outside his home as a non-essential service provider. They did not state what he was selling at the time.

The police did not reveal details about the fines handed to Neo and Lew.

On Wednesday, the court heard that Neo intends to plead guilty to his charge and will be back in court on May 6. Lew’s pre-trial conference will be held on May 8.

Former NHL player Matthew Barnaby, who played for seven teams across 14 seasons, was arrested Thursday morning by Nashville police on charges of alleged assault and public intoxication, records show. 

According to a police report obtained by WGRZ Buffalo, Barnaby was involved in an altercation with his girlfriend and others at Nashville Crossroads bar downtown. A bouncer told police Barnaby choked him. 

Nashville police booked Barnaby into jail just after 1 a.m. and he was released around 9:30 a.m., his total bond charges amounting to $6,000. His next court appearance is scheduled for March 27, per records.

Barnaby took to Twitter Thursday afternoon, stating that he “will be vindicated very soon” and a “full statement would be coming soon.”

Barnaby entered the NHL with the Buffalo Sabres in 1992-93 and spent six seasons with the team before playing for six more organizations over the next eight years. He led the NHL in penalty minutes twice (1995-96, 2000-01) and finished with 2,562 over 834 games. He played until 2006-07.

ESPN hired Barnaby after his playing career to serve as a hockey analyst, a role he fulfilled for four years until the network fired him a day after he was charged with a DWI in 2011, which came after his ex-wife dropped five misdemeanor charges against him earlier that year. 

Updated

January 30, 2018 14:39:37

Former AFL footballer Jake King is concerned he will lose his job when his employer learns he has been charged with possessing steroids, despite the more serious extortion offences he faces already having been made public, a court has heard.

The 33-year-old faced the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court charged with allegedly threatening to shoot a man and break his legs and those of his family if he did not pay him $150,000 within a month.

It emerged the former Richmond footballer has also been charged with possessing testosterone.

Mr King’s lawyer Geoffrey Steward asked the court not to release the drug possession charges to the media because of Mr King’s concerns it would “impact adversely” on his employment.

But Magistrate Franz Holzer said it would be illegal for Mr King’s employer to sack him over the charges which, at this stage, were “no more than allegations”.

It is unclear where Mr King is currently employed.

He was charged in July after being arrested at the South Melbourne tattoo parlour he co-owns with former outlaw motorcycle gang member Toby Mitchell.

Mr King is facing numerous offences, including extortion, making threats to kill and inflicting serious injury.

The charges relate to an alleged dispute between Mr King’s ex-teammate at Richmond, Ty Vickery, and Vickery’s former business partner at a restaurant in Melbourne’s east.

Mr Steward told today’s hearing that Mr King may plead guilty to some of the charges but would not admit to the steroid charges and was hoping to have them withdrawn.

If the case does result in a plea hearing, Mr Steward said he proposed to tender 30 character references from various people vouching for Mr King’s standing, reputation and character.

Mr King will return to court in March.

Topics:

courts-and-trials,

law-crime-and-justice,

crime,

australian-football-league,

richmond-2753,

hawthorn-3122,

melbourne-3000,

vic

First posted

January 30, 2018 13:36:39