West Brom players escape sentence after being cleared of charges of ‘attempted car theft’

West Brom players, Gareth Barry (L) and Jonny Evans (R) [Photo: Courtesy]

West Brom players escape sentence after being cleared of charges of ‘attempted car theft’

Former Man United star and teammates escape jail sentence over ‘car theft’

The West Brom players who apologised after allegedly stealing a taxi to get back to their Spanish hotel from a McDonald’s drive-through have been told the case against them has been shelved.

It was thought skipper Jonny Evans, 30, Gareth Barry, 36, Jake Livermore, 28 and Boaz Myhill, 35, could face a community service order or a fine after “borrowing” the cab to get back to their beds and leaving their driver stranded.

But it has emerged a Barcelona court handed a police report into the incident had shelved its probe because of “lack of proof.”

A local court official said: “Investigating Court Of Instruction Number Two in Barcelona dealt with the case.

“The investigating magistrate decided to provisionally archive the case because with the documentation he had, he felt there wasn’t sufficient evidence to continue with the case against the players.

“For the time being the case has been shelved although if new information appears it could be reopened.”

A well-placed source said: “This decision signals the taxi driver decided against pressing charges.

“If he had decided to press charges, the case would have been continued.

“Without him on board, the police are never going to insist on the players being prosecuted off their own backs.

“Something must have happened for the taxi driver to decide to drop his complaint. He was the one who got the McDonald’s staff to call police in the first place when he realised his taxi had gone.”

Ahead of confirmation of Monday's court decision, it had been thought the players could receive a community service order lasting 31 to 90 days or a fine under Spanish law.

The four West Brom players were identified by police in a report handed to the investigating judge following the bizarre Thursday morning incident