David Goodwillie: Rapist footballer says he is an 'innocent man' over civil court ruling
Former Scotland international David Goodwillie has said he wants to move on with his life in his first interview since a civil court ruled he had raped a woman in 2011
Rapist footballer David Goodwillie has claimed he is “an innocent man” in a rare new interview.
Goodwillie, 34, along with former Dundee United team-mate David Robertson, were judged at a civil court case in 2017 to have raped a woman six years earlier.
Both men were ordered to pay £100,000 in damages, though no criminal charges were brought against either of them as prosecutors in 2011 concluded that there was not enough evidence.
The striker has since struggled to find a way back into football, with Australian second-tier side Sorrento FC being the latest to rip up his contract last month. Their announcement was met with immediate backlash from fans of the Perth-based club, forcing the player back into free agency.
Speaking on the Anything Goes podcast, Goodwillie claimed: "I'm an innocent man. I still say to this day, I'm walking about free, I'm not on the sex offenders' register.
“I've not got any charges for this, I don't even have a criminal record any more. I've cleaned up my act and I've tried to be a better person."
Having been asked about the civil court case, the former Blackburn, Aberdeen and Crystal Palace player added he could not remember the evening of the incident due to his drunken state at the time.
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| The striker is a former Scotland international (Image: GETTY) |
He said: "This case wasn't violent, this was three people drunk, having consensual sex, what was happening in front of me was normal, she was talking, laughing, joking, joining in.
“So for her to say she can't remember that, it's hard for me to live with because I'm thinking if I could only show you the way you were acting, we had no idea that you were going to wake up in the morning and not remember this."
In civil proceedings, the burden of proof is on the balance of probabilities, as opposed to criminal proceedings where it has to be proved beyond reasonable doubt.
Following his civil court ruling, Goodwillie left Plymouth by mutual consent. He went on to spend five years at Clyde, scoring 109 goals in 176 appearances.
The former Scotland international then joined Scottish Championship side Raith Rovers, but it was a move that received backlash, causing the club to cancel his contract.
Goodwillie’s presence also sparked uproar after he turned out for Northern Premier League side Radcliffe earlier this year without the club announcing his signing. He scored a hat-trick in a 4-2 win before Radcliffe confirmed he would not play for them again.
The forward was reportedly spotted playing for Scottish outfit Glasgow United in a friendly last week.
Okeke George Chijioke
When you don't see Okeke George blogging, he sure will engage him self in sporting activities.
