Post by Farthing on Jan 20, 2006 17:09:38 GMT 10
England star receives death threats
From correspondents in London
January 20, 2006
JOE Cole received three letters containing death threats earlier this week while at Chelsea's training ground, Britain's The Sun newspaper reported today.
Cole, a 24-year-old midfield player for the Blues and England, was "badly shaken" by the threats and took them seriously, but did not want to involve the police, the newspaper quoted an unnamed team insider as saying.
Two messages warned he would have his throat cut while a third carried a sick drawing of a blood-spattered footballer, it said.
The hate-filled letters, each personally addressed to Cole, arrived over the course of two days at the English Premier champion's training ground in Cobham, Surrey, south-east England, the report revealed.
One team insider was quoted as saying Cole was "badly shaken and went white" after getting the first threat on Wednesday. Two more arrived overnight (AEDT).
The first was sent with a football playing card. "It said in blood-red ink, 'You are going to have your legs broken, you're going to have your arms broken and you're going to have your throat cut','' The Sunreported.
"Joe took it really seriously, but he did not want to call in the police so he ripped it up and threw it in the bin," the insider explained.
"Yesterday he got a card with message: 'Congratulations on your Retirement.' Inside they'd written a message saying, 'And your f---ing funeral."
Earlier this month Cole reportedly fled an attack from a love rival for teenage topless model Keeley Hazell, although the other man involved in that incident was cleared by Cole's representatives of being the mystery letter writer.
They believe the letters could have been sent by jealous fans of Hazell's or even by supporters of rival clubs.
Agence France-Presse
From correspondents in London
January 20, 2006
JOE Cole received three letters containing death threats earlier this week while at Chelsea's training ground, Britain's The Sun newspaper reported today.
Cole, a 24-year-old midfield player for the Blues and England, was "badly shaken" by the threats and took them seriously, but did not want to involve the police, the newspaper quoted an unnamed team insider as saying.
Two messages warned he would have his throat cut while a third carried a sick drawing of a blood-spattered footballer, it said.
The hate-filled letters, each personally addressed to Cole, arrived over the course of two days at the English Premier champion's training ground in Cobham, Surrey, south-east England, the report revealed.
One team insider was quoted as saying Cole was "badly shaken and went white" after getting the first threat on Wednesday. Two more arrived overnight (AEDT).
The first was sent with a football playing card. "It said in blood-red ink, 'You are going to have your legs broken, you're going to have your arms broken and you're going to have your throat cut','' The Sunreported.
"Joe took it really seriously, but he did not want to call in the police so he ripped it up and threw it in the bin," the insider explained.
"Yesterday he got a card with message: 'Congratulations on your Retirement.' Inside they'd written a message saying, 'And your f---ing funeral."
Earlier this month Cole reportedly fled an attack from a love rival for teenage topless model Keeley Hazell, although the other man involved in that incident was cleared by Cole's representatives of being the mystery letter writer.
They believe the letters could have been sent by jealous fans of Hazell's or even by supporters of rival clubs.
Agence France-Presse
