14.02.08 Harrison found not guilty

Scott Harrison could soon be a licensed boxer again. The two-time WBO featherweight champion appeared in court in Glasgow on Monday to answer charges relating to an incident in a Glasgow pub in April 2006 and things went as well as he could have hoped.

Harrison admitted charges of breach of the peace and resisting arrest, but was found not guilty of a potentially more damaging charge of assaulting a police officer.

"The not guilty verdict was not guilty because the facts of the case were full of holes but I'm just glad to put it all behind me," Harrison said. "I'm just ashamed of my behaviour of the past two years and appearing in the courts time after time.

"I'm looking forward to 2008 and hope the boxing board will give me my licence back and I can become champion again for Scotland. The past two years have been a total nightmare."

Harrison's many legal problems could now be disappearing. In November he was fined £500 after admitting drug possession and threatening a road worker. The charges he faced in Spain, show no sign of coming to trial.

The British Boxing Board of Control was due to meet this week to discuss Harrison's licence being returned. That may be delayed because sentencing was deferred to March 10 for reports. But the charges Harrison admitted would be unlikely to carry a prison sentence. If he was given community service, it would be likely that his licence would stay suspended until that was completed.

Whatever happens, it is likely that Harrison will soon get his licence back and soon be back in the ring, with an all-Scottish showdown with Alex Arthur, the interim WBO super-featherweight champion, would be the main target after a couple of warm-up bouts.

Some might think Harrison does not deserve another chance and he has only himself to blame for his terrible behaviour. I take the view that I am just glad to see Harrison looking fit and well. At his best, Harrison was a boxer who looked like he could knock down walls, hopefully his "nightmare" is coming to an end and he will not return to it.
Source: The Times Newspaper

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