Leicester City star Danny Simpson will miss part of his team's Premier League title celebrations after being handed a 21-day curfew for throttling his ex-girlfriend.
The sentence replaces an earlier order to carry out 300 hours of community service, after the footballer failed to complete about half of the hours.
Simpson was convicted of assault after a police officer found him sat on top of his ex-girlfriend Stephanie Ward – the mother of his child – with his hands around her neck in December 2014.
His lawyer Gary Ryan accused the press of scuppering his original community service sentence and called for a fine to replace the remaining hours at Manchester Magistrates’ Court today.
But he was instead given the curfew, requiring him to be at home between 10pm and 6am and to wear an electronic tag to monitor his movements.
It means he is likely to miss celebrations of Leicester’s unlikely title win being held at a London hotel on Sunday evening – after the club's final match against Chelsea – as well a trip to Thailand with the team, who are due to fly out on Tuesday.
The ruling came after his two community service placements were abruptly ended after journalists found out about them.
He first worked at an Age UK charity shop in Eccles – parking his £200,000 Lamborghini round the corner – before this was deemed “no longer viable” due to press attention, Mr Ryan told the court.
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A second placement working with people with learning difficulties was also ended early after reporters turned up and interviewed offenders working alongside him, the court heard.
Mr Ryan asked that the millionaire footballer instead pay a fine, but District Judge Alexandra Simmonds said a fine would be “no punishment” given his financial means.
She said Simpson’s original sentence for assaulting his ex-partner was a "richly-deserved punishment" and there must still be a restriction of liberty by the imposition of a curfew.
The judge told the defendant: "This was an offence of domestic violence and the courts take domestic violence very seriously. You will have to serve your sentence. You will need to be in tonight at 10pm."
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