Middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders is facing charges after a prank involved with a drug addict and an innocent bystander drew online criticism.
Talk Sports reports that Saunders has been charged with misconduct after a posting a video, he calls a prank, of himself and a companion sitting in a car and offering a drug addict money if she agrees to slap a pedestrian they’ve identified as a pedophile. Nottinghamshire Police issued the following statement.
Nottinghamshire Police are also investigating the video, as confirmed in a statement: “The Daily Mail has contacted the force yesterday evening and made us aware of a video circulating, where a woman is offered drugs in exchange for committing an act of violence, and potentially committing a sex act in public.
“Officers will be looking to identify and speak to all of those who feature in this sickening video, and a full investigation will be carried out into the number of offences that have been captured on film, including the offer to supply Class A drugs, aiding and abetting an assault, assault and public order offences. Incidents of this nature will not be tolerated in Nottinghamshire, and we would urge anyone who witnessed this incident, or who has any further information about those responsible to come forward.”
Saunders is scheduled to defend the WBO middleweight title against Demetrius Andrade in Boston next month. The Sun reports that a member of Saunders’ team claimed the video was ‘a fake-news prank’ created to build publicity ahead of his next fight.
To see Billy Joe’s apology, plus the video of the incident, flip the pages.