Harry Redknapp lost his cool at his football bungs trial as he shouted at a detective for "staring".
The Tottenham manager told a jury "I am a fantastic football manager not a hard-headed businessman" as he denied tax dodging. But there were fierce exchanges with prosecutors as he took to the stand for the first time.
Redknapp, 64, interrupted proceedings to vent his anger at Detective Inspector Dave Manley. Turning his head across the room at Southwark Crown Court, Redknapp said: "Mr Manley, will you please stop staring at me. I know you are trying to cause me a problem, okay."
Redknapp said "I've got no business acumen whatsoever" after telling jurors how his mind was on David Beckham while he signed off a six-figure bank transfer from Monaco to the US account of his co-accused Milan Mandaric.
He said he hired the best accountants in London to keep his books and prevent any tax problems. Redknapp said: "I have always paid my taxes. I've always gone to the best available people... I have always paid too much tax rather than not enough."
When asked about the day he opened the account in the name of his dog Rosie, Redknapp replied: "It would be a waste of time giving me forms, because I would have probably left them on a deck chair when me and Sandra went to the beach in the afternoon."
During three hours of questioning Redknapp told prosecutor John Black QC it was not clear what the Crown was accusing him of. "You have got three different bonuses," he said. "I think really and truthfully you are not too sure where you are going."
The Londoner also insisted he had "never been greedy in my life".
Both former Portsmouth boss Redknapp, of Dorset, and Mandaric, 73, of Leicestershire, deny two counts of cheating the public revenue.
Comment 1 - 10 of 10
He paid the best accountants in London to find tax loop holes, sorry dodges.Just the same as all the other sleezy high earners. He is playing ignorant as a ruse to suggest he is not very bright when it comes to his financial affairs. Do we really want a self confessed thicko as National manager, I think not.But I do not believe he is thick, in fact the opposite and a very crafty cockney!
necb, there is a slight difference between "doing a job for cash" and failing to declare earnings..such activities are preprogrammed into the tax revenue forecasts as acceptable losses...and someone who go to extended lengths to avoid a much larger individual payment through greed. Acceptable practice and the wholly unacceptable is why Dave the part-time plumber isn't in court with 600 press officers in attendance.
This is the legal and tax establishment trying to divert attention away from their dodgy corporate deals with the multi nationals and the 100 or so lucnhes they had arranging the non payment of tax. Two soft targets with the allegation surrounding seriously small 'micky mouse' amounts of money. Who are they kidding? This is a political trial, a sham against two soft targets, a foreigner and a sharp football manager [any allegation would be believed and pursued] and the allegations once made they know full well must go to a full trial and all the lawyers make more money than what Harry is supposed to have saved in tax only their profit would be Harry's alleged saving with a nought on.The whole rotten trial is a con against the tax payer not the other way round. Who made the decision to prosecute is the right question right now and I bet he or she previously worked for the lawyers prosecuting somewhere along the line. A nice little earner for all the lawyers. So who's the spiv now? Not Harry.
3; mark_w_burridge - I couldn't agree more!!!!! And not to mention the fact that (worse case scenario) Harry was convicted and jailed (unlikely) then the public purse (HM Revenue & Customs - ARSE-holes) would lose that period of tax revenue attributable to Harry's current/future earnings (estimated at £1.2 million per year). So that's costs associated to the Police Investigation, Lawyers, Court costs, Prison (unlikely I know), all to recoup a possible £100,000 - that makes sense Rodney!!!!
Show me someone who has never paid CASH, done a job for CASH, taken something they shouldn't, or done something they shouldn't!!!!!!!!!!
And the biggest joke of all - us Spurs fans don't want Harry to take the England job, yet it's those tossers from Chavski, ARSE-nil and the like who are judging him on an allegation not a proven case which could yet prevent him from being offered that job!!!!
And as for Chavski - well they should look closer to home - that's TERRY - JOHN TERRY.
C'mon Harry and COYS
He's the only man in the country with the ability to lead England to World Cup su ccess. The feelgood factor that would generate - not to mention jobs generated (tv, advertising, souveniers etc) far outweigh the money he's supposed to have cheated us from, and the cost of this joke of a trial. Free the Tottenham One!
Put Vodaphone bosses in jail.
The timing seems a bit strange. Tottenham with their first opportunity to win the premiership in years and out of all of the individuals and companies that don't pay tax it is the Tottenham manager who gets tagetted. I wouldn't be at all suprised if the proescuting officer turns out to be an ardent Arsenal fan.
This trial is a sham!
How much tax payers money is this ludicrous farce of a trial costing me and you the tax payer?
Is this seriously what we are paying the police force for, pathetic!
this is a country of tax you get up in the morning put light on you pay tax, go to the bathroom pay tax, getting to work pay tax, make a phone call pay tax, put petrol in car pay tax, have a drink pay tax, have a smoke pay tax, watch tv pay tax and many more and best of all when you die if you got money and leave it to anyone they pay the tax so if harry did have some offshore money the moment he started spending it in england he would pay tax. this countrys taxes are far to high
Tut Tut Twitcher ..
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