Gazza faces Christmas behind bars after failing to appear before court

LONDON - A judge of the Newcastle Magistrates’ Court has blasted former Newcastle United player Paul Gascoigne for failing to appear before the court and sneaking into rehab, saying he still ‘faces Christmas behind bars’.

Forty-three-year-old Gazza was scheduled to be sentenced Thursday but he missed court and checked into rehab. The troubled footie legend booked himself into a clinic in Bournemouth, which he briefly left yesterday to get cash from an ATM, the Sun reports.

Angry District Judge Stephen Earl ordered Gazza to re-appear before the court next month and warned him he still faces Christmas behind bars.

“He is not here because he has decided to put himself in for treatment - that’s the bit that concerns me. Who’s running the show? If he can attend there voluntarily, he can attend court voluntarily,” he said.

“This case will be sentenced on the next occasion. Let’s be absolutely clear - he will be treated no differently to anyone else,” Judge Earl added.

Ex-Newcastle and England idol Gazza was arrested after driving his sports car erratically last month. He had 142mg of alcohol per 100ml of breath in Newcastle, while the legal limit is only 35mg.e was warned he could be jailed for 12 weeks when he pleaded guilty last month, the paper said.
He was reported to be vomiting out of the window of his agent’s car as he was driven south on the M1.

“Such was the level of concern about his difficulties a decision was made that it would be in his best interests to be re-admitted,” the paper quoted his solicitor Stephen Andrews as telling the court yesterday.

He would now be sentenced on December 9. (ANI)