Chessington footballer in court for smashing brother's trophies (From Surrey Comet)

Chessington footballer in court for smashing brother's trophies

12:49pm Friday 24th October 2008 in

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An ongoing feud between two football-loving brothers has landed one of the pair in court after he smashed up six football trophies and stole money from his brother’s bedroom.

Matthew Murray, 21, of Hatherleigh Close, Chessington, had been thrown out of the family home by their mother after the bickering became too much to bear.

He returned to the empty house on October 8 and stole 40 Euros and £20 from a locked box in his brother Thomas’ bedroom.

Matthew came back again the next day and trashed the same bedroom, causing damage to the six football trophies Thomas won playing for his Chessington team.

Their sister reported it to police four days later and Murray told officers he acted purely out of hatred for his 18-year-old brother.

Their rocky relationship was hindered by them playing for rival football teams in Esher and Chessington, which are both in the same league and come head-to-head regularly.

Defence solicitor Shahnaz Sargeant said the pair had stolen money off each other before and Matthew was acting in revenge for a pair of football boots and football paraphernalia that had been “destroyed or disposed of” by Thomas.

She added: “He has been asked to leave house and he is not allowed back. I have suggested he gets in contact with his mother to apologise.”

Murray, who used to work as a tiler before giving up his job in June, is now unemployed and was three hours late to court because he said he had no money for a bus.

Sentencing him at Kingston Magistrates’ Court on October 23, David Mulholland said it was difficult to decide what punishment to give him, adding: “We did find it quite distressing as it was against your own family.”

He was fined £50 for the theft of money, £70 for the criminal damage and a further £85 in court costs.

Speaking after his case, the former Southborough pupil said he had never got on with his younger brother, despite them having many of the same interests, especially football.

He said: “I don’t think he has forgiven me for scoring a hat trick against him last season.”

He added that living with his four other siblings, aged between 12 and 23 years old, meant “the atmosphere can get a bit heated”.