BridgeIsBlue 66,498 Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 http://www.bbc.co.uk...reland-30093565The Professional Footballers' Association of Ireland has come to the defence of convicted rapist and former Sheffield United footballer Ched Evans.Evans was jailed in April 2012 for raping a 19-year-old woman in a hotel room in May 2011. He was released last month.The association's solicitor, Stuart Gilhooly, said Evans could be innocent.He said that while a jury convicted him of the crime, the same applied to the Guildford Four and the Birmingham Six.The Guildford Four and the Birmingham Six were initially convicted of involvement in an IRA bombing campaign that claimed several lives.The verdicts in both cases were overturned after the ten accused spent many years in prison.Mr Gilhooly wrote an article on the Professional Footballers' Association of Ireland website referring to Evans' crime as "alleged", despite the fact the football was found guilty of raping the woman in a hotel room in Rhyl, North Wales, and sentenced to five years.The solicitor said he believed that whether Evans was guilty or innocent, the footballer deserved another chance.'No violence'Sheffield United allowed Evans to resume training at the club following his release from prison last month.In his online article, Mr Gilhooly wrote: "This crime, as alleged, was at the bottom end. There was no violence and thankfully the victim has no recollection of it."This, I hasten to add, does not make it right, or anything close to it, but it is nonetheless a mitigating factor."Mr Gilhooly said it was "not easy to muster up too much sympathy for Evans"."But there is surely nothing worse than being accused of a crime which you genuinely believe you didn't commit," he said."The argument against that is that a jury convicted him of the crime. The same applied to the Guildford Four and the Birmingham Six. They got no public sympathy either."Maybe he is guilty or perhaps he's innocent, none of us knows for sure. Surely, either way, he deserves a chance at redemption. Don't we all?"His comments come in the wake of musician Paul Heaton's resignation as a patron of Sheffield United's Community Foundation over the club's decision to allow Evans to train with the club.TV presenter Charlie Webster, sixties pop star Dave Berry and Sheffield businesswoman Lindsay Graham have all resigned as patrons of the club since Evans returned to training.Olympic athlete Jessica Ennis-Hill asked for her name to removed from a stand at the club's Bramall Lane ground if Evans returns full-time. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sprotson11 147 Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 So does that make any conviction an alleged conviction? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coop_loyal 140 Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 Have you seen his website? I'm surprised he was convicted.Fuck ireland thoughffsThere was no violence and thankfully the victim has no recollection of it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
.Williamson. 81,457 Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 That is one of the most ridiculous things I have ever read in my life Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bad Robot 21,029 Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 They also left the curtains open so their mates could film it from the outside. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrmojorisin 13,594 Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 ROI were the only country in the civilized world to send a telegram of condolence to Berlin on the death of Hitler and to this day a statue of IRA member and nazi sympathiser Sean Russell stands in Dublin.Utter cunts Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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