Geoffrey Boycott says he couldnt give a toss about his conviction for domestic violence, after receiving a knighthood from Theresa May.
The former England batsman was appearing on BBC Radio 4s Today programme when he was asked why it had taken so long for him to receive the honour, having retired from cricket in 1986.
It was suggested to the 78-year-old that his conviction in a French court for assaulting former girlfriend Margaret Moore while on holiday in 1997 had something to do with it, which Boycott was firmly dismissive of.
He even suggested that the guilty verdict in France is the reason he is in favour of Brexit.
25 years ago, love, in a French court, said the Yorkshireman in response to Mishal Husain. She tried to blackmail me for a million pounds, I said no, because in England if you pay any money at all there must be something there. I said Im not paying anything. Not sure I actually had a million at the time.
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It was a court case in France where youre guilty, which is one reason I dont vote to Remain in Europe. Youre guilty until youre proved innocent.
Its the totally opposite of when youre in England, and its very difficult to prove youre innocent in another country in another language.
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And most people in England dont believe it, I didnt do it, you move on.
Boycott was given a three-month suspended jail sentence and ordered to pay a 50,000-franc fine for the assault on Moore during a stay on the French Riviera.
The decision to hand Boycott a knighthood has been criticised by domestic violence charities, with Adina Claire, co-acting chief executive of Womens Aid, saying: Celebrating a man who was convicted for assaulting his partner sends a dangerous message – that domestic abuse is not taken seriously as a crime.
However, when this was put to the former cricketer, he was unmoved: I dont care a toss about her, love, it was 25 years ago, so you can take your political Read More – Source
