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Football talent who turned to crime to fund gambling addiction after injury ended career is jailed for a year

Jamie Davidson in action for Ballymena United in 2012. Picture Charles McQuillan/Pacemaker.
Jamie Davidson in action for Ballymena United in 2012. Picture Charles McQuillan/Pacemaker. Jamie Davidson in action for Ballymena United in 2012. Picture Charles McQuillan/Pacemaker.

A ONCE promising footballer who turned to crime to fund his gambling addiction when injury abruptly ended his career, was jailed for a year today after he admitted trying to steal cash from three shops.

Ordering 24-year-old Jamie Davidson to spend a further year on licence after his release, Antrim Crown Court Judge Desmond Marrinan said it was “tragic to see a young man with your gifts as a footballer end up in this situation.”

Having heard how Davidson committed the offences in order to repay a violent loan shark, the judge said given his young age he still had the chance to “get on with your life in a successful way.”

“While life won’t lead to the glittering prizes on the soccer field, keep away from the villains and rogues who lent you this money and who probably knew that you could not repay it and so held you in a Svengali like grip,” urged Judge Marrinan.

At an earlier hearing Davidson, from Carnduff Drive in Ballymena, pleaded guilty to the attempted robbery of the Polita shop on Lower Mill Street in the town, trying to steal a camera from Curry’s, damaging the cameras security cable and the attempted theft of cash from a Save the Children charity shop and from Nik Naks.

Having progressed to the senior team after joining Ballymena United’s youth academy, Davidson was considered to be one of the most talented players in the Irish league and scored against Linfield on his debut for Ballymena United.

Father-of-one Davidson, who was being scouted by the likes of Liverpool and Spurs, was playing for Scunthorpe United in the English lower leagues when injury brought his career to an abrupt end.

In court today defence barrister Michael Smith revealed how Davidson had repeated court appearances in the magistrates court after his career came to a halt, describing his appearance in the crown court as a “massive fall from grace.”

Prosecuting lawyer Tessa Kitson told the court the incidents all happened within a few hours on November 28 last year and followed roughly the same pattern of Davidson entering the various shops, asking for money but leaving empty handed.

In the incidents, said Mrs Kitson, Davidson asked for cash from the tills but walked out empty handed when his requests were either flatly refused or diverted with claims that the till was locked.

In relation to the incident at Currys, the lawyer said the manager was alerted when an alarm sounded as an attempt was made to steal a digital camera which cut from the cable.

The former footballer was arrested when one witness named him and told police he “was a good guy who used to play for Ballymena United but I never knew what became of him.”

In his plea in mitigation, Mr Smith outlined how Davidson’s life “began to spiral out of control” following the injury which ended his career in 2016, including a gambling addiction he could not afford and the break up of his relationship.

Mr Smith further revealed that Davidson’s family had paid the debt off “for the defendant's own safety” but that since then, he is “trying to reconstruct his life” and find a different career, possibly as a barber.