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Footballer speaks after leg breaking challenge lands opponent in jail
A FOOTBALLER who can never play again after an horrific leg breaking challenge has spoken of his pain.
We broke the new last week about the story, when the player who committed the foul became the first in history to be jailed for a tackle on the football pitch.
The injury means Terry Johnson can never play football again.
And he said he his life has now been ruined.
Mark Chapman, 20, of Garrett Close, Long Lawford, was jailed for six months last week after pleading guilty at Warwick Crown Court to maliciously inflicting grievous bodily harm against Wheeltappers opponent Terry Johnson.
Mr. Johnson said: "It's ruined my life. I will never to able to play football again. As far as I'm concerned he deserved what he got - what goes around comes around."
The court heard that the tackle took place during a Rugby and District Sunday league match on October 10 last year.
Prosecutor Iain Willis said: "The referee said Terry Johnson was clearly slowing down as he followed the ball out.
"The defendant continued to close in and used a stamping motion with a raised right foot, with the studs showing, on the back and side of his right leg.
"Both fell to the floor and Terry Johnson was badly injured with fractures of the tibia and fibula, and he required surgery to
reconstruct his leg."
Mr. Johnson, who has not been able to work since the tackle, now has a
steel rod his leg and will have to have a skin graft.
He said: "All I can really remember was stamping coming up behind me
and I then I felt the pain in my leg straightaway - it was like being hit by a train. I heard a snap and everyone thought it was two shinpads snapping, but it was my leg."
The court was told that Chapman had no previous convictions, but had
been disciplined a number of times for his behaviour on the football pitch.
Lawrence Watts, defending, said that the incident was something that Chapman bitterly regrets. Since the court hearing, the Rugby Advertiser has been contacted by friends of Chapman, many describing him as a 'lovely guy' with a 'heart of gold'.
One friend said: "Mark has been made out to be one hell of thug but he's not.
"He would not deliberately hurt anyone. Mark should not have been sent to prison for this."
Sentencing Chapman, Judge Robert Orme said: "There was no attempt to obtain the ball in any way. The result of what you did was that Mr. Johnson suffered a badly broken leg. It horrified those who saw it."
Chapman cried uncontrollably and tried to hold on to the dock, asking to be allowed to say goodbye to his mother, who was in tears in the public gallery, as he was led away to the cells.
JK Timber Rugby and District Sunday Football League secretary Stuart Taylor said: "As far as the league is concerned, this was a one-off incident. There are no disciplinary issues in the league and we have a very good reputation."
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Weather for Rugby
Friday 10 February 2012
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Temperature: -8 C to 1 C
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