Footballer Steven Caulker has been fined £1,000 following a "vile" verbal altercation with a doorman at a bar.
The 23-year-old QPR defender, currently on loan to Southampton, entered Rocksalt in Esher, Surrey, but became aggressive after he was asked to leave in the early hours of Sunday March 15 following a dispute over an outstanding bill.
Caulker, of Pyrford Woods, Woking, frequents Rocksalt but was asked to leave that night between 12am and 1am after entering to settle the bill.
He left as asked but then became aggressive at the door and Gary Venturi, prosecuting, said the subsequent "vile abuse" on doorman Carl Evans lasted five to seven minutes.
Mr Venturi went on to say the incident, which was captured on CCTV, involved Caulker encroaching very close to Mr Evans, gesturing quite aggressively towards him on a couple of occasions, and using abusive words and behaviour despite there being no actual contact between them.
Judge Christopher Critchlow said: “As a professional sportsman you will be accustomed to behaving in a disciplined way on a football pitch, I presume, subject to the laws of the game, and whatever pressures may be upon you because of your profession you will appreciate that when you are out in public there is a heavy burden on you not to behave in a way which is undisciplined.”
Defending, Michael Borrelli, said it came from resentment which was not directed at Rocksalt’s owner but instead at Mr Evans.
The incident continued until police arrived and Caulker was taken into custody where, according to Mr Venturi, he accepted that his behaviour was unacceptable.
'Highly regrettable'
Mr Borrelli said: “Mr Caulker is obviously extremely embarrassed by this. He regrets it.”
He added that alcohol was probably a root cause of the difficulty and said he is otherwise responsible.
It is "highly regrettable" for Caulker to have a record in his position in a profession which requires him to behave with discipline and good conduct, Mr Borrelli said.
“He knows people look at him to see the way he behaves,” Mr Borrelli added. “He very much regrets the fact that he is in the position today.”
Addressing Caulker, Judge Critchlow said: “It shouldn’t have happened, you now accept that and I am prepared to recognise that by your guilty plea today to this offence you show genuine remorse for your behaviour and that it was not in keeping with your position as a professional sportsman.”
At Guildford Crown Court on Monday (October 12, Caulker pleaded guilty to one count of using threatening/abusive/insulting words or behaviour or disorderly behaviour to cause another harassment/alarm/distress, and not guilty to two counts of racially/religiously aggravated intentional harassment/alarm/distress in words/writing. Prosecution offered no evidence in relation to one count, and accepted his guilty plea for the lesser offence (under Section 4 of the Public Order Act) in relation to the second count.
He was fined £1,000, instructed to pay prosecution costs of £750 and a £100 surcharge.
Caulker, who also used to play for Tottenham and Cardiff before QPR bought him for £8m, only has one previous caution for a similar public order offence, the court heard.
