Rugby Player who Lost his Temper During Poker Game Avoids Conviction

A promising Irish rugby player, Neilus Keogh, 27, who lost his professional contract due to an incident that happened during a poker game, was able to avoid conviction.

On April 5, 2012, Keogh was playing poker in the Sporting Emporium Casino where he regularly played cards. When he lost an unknown sum of money at the table, he lost his temper and proceeded to react quite impulsively. The rugby player stood up, punched another player in the face and threw a chair at the victim. The moment simply got the better of Keogh and he reacted hastily, without thinking about his career or about the player he attacked.

The victim of the attack, Michael Frisby, was taken to St. James hospital where doctors discovered that three facial bones were broken and that nerves around his mouth had suffered damage. Frisby’s injuries required surgery and two metal plates had to be inserted in his face, held together by eight steel screws. As Frisby told the court, he had no chance to protect himself because he was already unconscious when Neilus threw the chair at him.

Keogh was recently ordered to complete alcohol and anger management counseling within 12 months and return to court with €10,000 to be paid to the victim. Keogh had a very bright future ahead of him when he signed with the Nottingham Rugby Club in June 2013, earning £1,700 per month, but he had a clause in his contract which would see it terminated if he was convicted.

Although he had not been convicted, his contract was not renewed last year because the incident caused bad publicity for the club. The defendant's lawyer stated that Keogh has been dealing with his anger issues and alcohol problems since the attack and that he regrets the fact that he lost his temper and went off on Frisby.

Keogh paid a very high price for his bad temper as his career was ruined. Once a very successful rugby player, he now plays as an amateur for London Irish and earns £350 a week as a laborer at building sites. His conviction will not be entered into official records as the judge applied the Probation Act.

Photo: www.independent.ie