FERDINAND IN STREET BRAWL DISGRACE
A shocked witness to the brawl in which Rio Ferdinand and three pals clashed with a photographer claims the star urged fellow footballer Jody Morris: "Kill him, stamp on his head."
At the time, Morris was said to be standing over snapper John Gyimah who was grappling on the ground with a third man.
Gyimah says he took kicks and punches in the fight, which flared near a nightspot after he tried to take pictures of Manchester United and England defender Ferdinand. He also lost a £4,000 digital camera.
An unnamed witness, who has made a statement to police, said he and a friend tried to calm Ferdinand. They helped him into a car outside the Toast bar and restaurant in Hampstead, North London. The witness told the Mirror:
"I was trying to get Jody off the photographer. One of their friends was with the cameraman on the floor and Jody was standing above him saying, 'I'll stamp on your head if you don't let him go'.
"Rio was shouting, 'Kill him...stamp on his head'. My mate and I were saying, 'Rio what are you doing? You're going to get yourself ruined here'.
"Jody wouldn't get in the car...the others were all inside and asking him to get in, but he was saying, 'No, I'm going to finish this guy off'. So the car just drove off without him."
Earlier, it is claimed, Ferdinand, 26, had pushed a tin of paint at the photographer and thrown a bag of CDs at him, as the brawl continued for 70 yards down the street. The £29million centre half and Millwall midfielder Morris - who have both played for Leeds - are no strangers to trouble.
Ferdinand was banned last season after missing a drug test.
Morris, also 26, has a conviction for assault, was cleared of affray and had a rape charge against him dropped.
The pair were leaving Toast with two friends at 11.45pm on Monday.
Photographer Gyimah, 36, who works for the Xposure agency, said: "Out of politeness I asked Rio if it was OK to take pictures.
"He said, 'No it isn't,' and strode off with his party down Hampstead Hill. I carried on taking pictures of Rio, it's my job after all. I wasn't too near or in his face, and he's well used to it.
"But Rio wasn't having it. Some workmen were near Hampstead Tube as we went past. One had a tin of paint and Rio urged him to hit me with it. As the workman held on to the tin, Rio smacked it so it swung towards me.
"I tried defending myself with my camera, but the tin broke my camera filter. Rio's mate, who was wearing a red puffa jacket, grabbed me and knocked me to the floor. We were rolling around brawling. Jody Morris jumped into the fray and landed on top of me. There were kicks and punches everywhere at this point."
Gyimah added: "Some of the Tube workers tried to pull us all apart. Morris lost it and started screaming at me, 'I'm going to kick your head in.' I said, 'Don't be silly Jode'. He replied, 'You don't know me. I'm going to kick your head in'.
"I said, 'Can I quote you on that?' He shouted three more times, 'I'm going to kick your head in'. After more brawling on the floor, we were separated. The camera got ripped out of my hand, I don't know where it is now."
Gyimah went to Holborn police station to make a statement.
Two diners were leaving Toast as the trouble blew up. The one who made a police statement said: "We saw Rio had this plastic bag and he swung it at a photgrapher's camera.
"The bag burst and the camera hit the floor. That's when it started getting nasty - the cameraman started throwing punches. Me and my friend went to intervene. We tried to say to Rio, 'Just leave it...you've got the World Cup coming up'.
"He was saying, 'Yeah I know'. He wasn't getting aggressive, but Jody Morris was on the floor with the cameraman."
At that point, said the witness, a car pulled up and his friend shoved Ferdinand inside. The star then allegedly shouted "Kill him" to Morris.
A contractor at the Tube stop said: "I saw Rio throw a bag of CDs at the photographer. I think we saw the end of the trouble. Rio was trying to calm the others down."
Later Ferdinand and Morris went to West End club Kabaret Prophecy and stayed until the 3am close.
Scotland Yard said officers at Holborn were investigating an allegation of assault.
Ferdinand's agents SEM dismissed as "nonsense" the claim that he said "kill him...stamp on his head". A spokesman said:
"Rio was there. What happened was that he threw a couple of CDs at him. He was hassling him for ages. He has suggested Rio threw a tin of paint at him. Rio has said, 'Where would I get a tin of paint?'"
Typical Ferdinand. Just like on the pitch he ponces about trying to look good then stands back and lets Mickey/Wes do all the donkey work and end up taking the flak. If nothing else he should be sacked on the spot for associating with Jody Morris in public.