Carlo Ancelotti refuses to sack Ashley Cole
Chelsea decline to say if Ashley Cole has been punished for firing an air rifle – as a lawyer tells Channel 4 News that someone behaving like this should expect a “severe talking-to”.
Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti told a news conference there was “no way” he would sack Cole, who will play against Manchester United tomorrow.
Talking about the incident at Chelsea’s training ground in Surrey, Ancelotti said: “Obviously, we are not happy with what happened. But I have spoken with him. He was very disappointed with this, said sorry, made a mistake. It was an accident. We have taken proper action, but tomorrow he will play.”
He added: “The mistake was that the gun was here in Cobham. We didn’t know the gun was here.”
The News of the World reported on Sunday that the England and Chelsea defender had accidentally fired a .22 air rifle pellet at sports sciences student Tom Cowan.
Treated for bleeding
The 21-year-old, who was on a work placement, was treated for bleeding by the club’s medical staff and did not need to go to hospital.
Surrey Police said that while a “direct allegation” had not been made, “the matter has been brought to our attention through reports in the media and we will be contacting the club in due course to establish whether any criminal offence has been committed”.
You would probably get a severe talking-to. Solicitor Julian Young
Criminal lawyer Julian Young, senior partner at Julian Young and Co in central London, told Channel 4 News that it was a criminal offence to take an air rifle to a public place, but it could be argued that a football training ground was private.
He said if someone accidentally fired an air rifle at another person, he would not expect them to be charged or cautioned, but to receive a “severe warning”.
Mr Young added: “You would probably get a severe talking-to and if you applied for a firearms licence in the future, you probably wouldn’t get it. Air rifles should be locked up securely. The ammunition should be kept away from the air rifle. That’s how it should be done.”
The Firearms Act made it clear that it was the responsibility of the person firing an air rifle to check if it was loaded and assume it was.
Ancelloti said Cole had apologised. “First, he said sorry to the guy that was involved in this; second, sorry to the team-mates; third, sorry to the club.”
‘Cobham is not out of control’
The Chelsea boss denied there were problems at the club’s Cobham training ground. “Cobham is not out of control. At Cobham, there is discipline. If a player steps over the line, we will take a decision. Nobody can say here it is out of control.”
Responding to claims about player power, Ancelotti said: “They have no power.”
Cole is no stranger to the media spotlight. He was divorced by X Factor judge Cheryl Cole last year.