A THUG who claimed to be a semi-professional footballer has been locked up after the Post exposed him as a liar.
In January, Alex Russell, 19, walked from Nottingham Crown Court with a suspended sentence and an order to pay �10,400 compensation to a man he had punched.
But now Russell is in custody after admitting lying to the judge about playing for Hucknall Town Football Club.
And Judge Ebrahim Mooncey said: "I'd like to thank the Post, without whom this matter would never have been uncovered."
It also emerged in court that someone had written a fake reference on Russell's behalf – supposedly from a coach at the club – which described him as a "wonderful young man".
The judge ordered a review of Russell's original sentence when our story about his vicious attack on a man featured the club's flat denial that he was one of their players.
Hucknall head coach Jamie Brough said he had never heard of an Alex Russell.
The judge was initially persuaded to spare him from prison after he heard Russell could potentially lose his career if he was sent to custody.
The court was told he was working as a caretaker and barman while playing for Hucknall, and could afford to pay compensation to the victim.
But after the story was published and our article drawn to the judge's attention by another judge, he ordered everyone back to court.
In mitigation, Stephen Gelsthorpe told him: "He accepts he lied to the probation officer, he lied to me, and he lied to you in a very material respect."
He said Russell was an amateur footballer for Radford Football Club and had never played for Hucknall Town.
He added: "He is a footballer. What he did is embellish the position."
Mr Gelsthorpe offered a profound apology to the court on Russell's behalf and handed the judge a letter of apology from the defendant.
As he sent him to prison for nine months, the judge said Russell's "law-abiding" family could decide to pay the compensation if they wanted.
"I can't order compensation in the circumstances when imposing an immediate custodial sentence," he said.
Prosecutors will now refer the latest developments to the police for investigation.
Russell, of Melford Road, Bilborough, admitted assault causing actual harm in January.
He originally got a nine-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, and was told to complete 150 hours of unpaid work.
Russell's victim lost three teeth when he was punched last December in Nottingham city centre. Treatment was not available on the NHS. The cost of the private dental work was estimated at �10,000.
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