Steven Gerrard Suffered 'Embarrassment' Rules Judge as Helen Jones Is Jailed
The former police officer accused of obtaining footage of a brawl involving Liverpool star Steven Gerrard for the purpose of blackmail was sentenced to a 22-month prison term Friday.
According to SundayWorld.com, Judge Stuart Baker handed down the sentence to 32-year-old Helen Jones and claimed her actions had caused Gerrard "serious personal embarrassment."
It was determined that Jones had used her influence as a police officer to come into possession of video that captured a fight outside a bar in Formby, Merseyside, England on the night of Aug. 4, 2013 in which Gerrard was involved, though it was determined that the Liverpool captain was simply trying to act as a "peacemaker."
Baker ruled that Jones had abused her authority and used deception in order to obtain the video:
"You deliberately created a false impression in the mind of the bank manager that you were investigating a criminal offense. In fact, you were on a mission to obtain that matter so that you could put it either directly or through an intermediary, who would use it for his own ends, which were nothing whatsoever to do with a criminal investigation.
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Gerrard is set to join MLS' Los Angeles Galaxy in July. The 34-year-old star's time in the EPL is nearing its conclusion, and he can now focus on helping the Reds contend for a top spot, as they are just three points behind third-place Arsenal.
With Jones finally receiving her punishment, Gerrard should be able to close the book on this scandal and return to relative normalcy moving forward.
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