10 famous sports stars who went to prison – murder, assaults and cocaine scandal

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Sportspeople are often seen as role models for the next generation.

But ultimately, as in any industry, a few bad eggs get through the cracks – and sport has had its fair share of bad boys.

From footballers to boxers, a whole host of sportspeople have found themselves on the wrong side of the law and subsequently forced to spend time behind bars.

From sex offences to cocaine and domestic abuse to murder, a host of grim offences have been committed by sportspeople.

Here are 10 big names who ended up behind bars…

Adam Johnson

In maybe the most famous example of a footballer being sent to prison in recent years, Adam Johnson left football and the Premier League in disgrace after being convicted of child sex offences in 2016.

The former Man City and Sunderland winger was sacked by the latter club after he was found to have engaged in an inappropriate relationship with a 15-year-old fan, despite the fact that he had a child with his then girlfriend.

Johnson was released from prison in 2019 after serving half of his six year sentence.

Tony Adams

The ex-Arsenal captain famously did time after being convicted of drink-driving offences in 1990. Adams was found to be 27 times over the drink-drive limit after crashing his car.

As a result, the centre-back spent 57 days inside, which he said did little to help him understand the nature of his alcoholism.

Adams said of his time in jail: "Prison didn’t teach me anything. There was no education about why I was in there or around my illness."

Chris Lewis

England all-rounder Chris Lewis enjoyed a decent career with both bat and ball, but things went downhill after his cricketing exploits finished

11 years after his final match for his country, Lewis was caught with £140,000 worth of liquid cocaine at Gatwick airport after arriving on a flight from St Lucia.

Lewis was sentenced to 13 years in jail, but was released after serving 6 years at HMP High Down.

Salman Butt

Salman Butt came to England as the Pakistan cricket team's captain in 2010, but soon found himself behind bars as one of the architects of a spot-fixing scandal which rocked the world of cricket.

Butt was deemed to be the player most involved in the scandal alongside younger compatriots Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Asif. He was found guilty of ordering the players to bowl no balls at a particular time during their fourth test against England that summer.

Butt was sentenced to 30 months behind bars.

Naseem Hamed

Prince Naseem captivated the British public with his flamboyant performances in the boxing ring – but he suffered an enormous fall from grace after being sent to jail in 2006.

Hamed was convicted of dangerous driving after causing a crash in Sheffield in 2005, where his reckless actions caused another driver to break almost every bone in his body and suffer brain damage

Hamed was stripped of his MBE and spent 16 weeks in prison, serving the rest of his 15 month sentence with an electronic tag.

Chris Mason

Darts star Chris Mason had an infamous rivalry with Phil Taylor during his career as well as having a number or run-ins with the law.

Mason went to prison after being convicted of aggravated burglary and intention to commit grievous bodily harm in 2003. He and two friends left their victim with a broken nose, scalp cuts, facial swelling and bruising.

Mason spent just over a year in prison having been sentenced to three years.

Michael Vick

NFL quarterback Michael Vick was renowned for his remarkable running ability on the football field- but he ran into trouble after being caught orchestrating dog fights in 2007.

Vick was found to have been part of a dog fighting ring, having been on of the main financiers of the interstate operation which traumatised the animals and often left them with brutal injuries.

Vick served 23 months in jail in Virginia after agreeing a plea bargain with the authorities.

O.J. Simpson

O.J. Simpson, another NFL player, was involved in arguably the most high-profile court case in sporting history. Having been accused of murdering his then wife and her friend, Simpson was acquitted in the criminal trial- although he was later found responsible in a civil lawsuit.

Simpson did spend time in prison despite that verdict, however, as he was convicted in Las Vegas in 2008 of armed robbery and kidnapping. He was sentenced to 33 years in prison, but was eventually released in 2017 having served nine years.

Oscar Pistorius

Oscar Pistorius' story was one of the most inspiring anywhere in the world- the South African Paralympics legend was eventually allowed to run in the Olympics itself given his extraordinary talent. However, like so many of the names on this list, it was all too good to be true.

Pistorius was convicted of the premeditated murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in 2013. The conviction itself came a year later, initially being described as culpable homicide but eventually was upgraded to the murder charge.

Pistorius is currently serving his six year sentence in a prison in Pretoria.

Jon Koppenhaver

Jon Koppenhaver, better known by the moniker War Machine, was a UFC and Bellator fighter for a number of years, but since retiring has had several problems with the law.

In 2010, Koppenhaver was senteced to a year in prison for felony assault committed in Las Vegas. He eventually served two years, most of which came in solitary confinement.

Koppenhaver was released in 2012, but soon found himself back behind bars for an assault committed on his then girlfriend and her associate.

After several postponements to his trial, he was eventually sentenced to life in prison with parole only becoming possible after a minimum of 36 years served.

• Adam Johnson
• Harry Kane
• Michael Schumacher
• Nfl
• Olympics
• Premier League
• Gatwick
• Animals

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