Terence Crawford’s trainer Brian McIntyre got through UK border security with a gun in his bag, the American has confirmed upon his release.
McIntryre spent five weeks in a UK jail after being found with a gun in his bag when attempting to return to the United States.
“Bomac” had been visiting the UK to corner for Chris Eubank Jr. against Liam Smith. McIntyre oversaw a devastating rematch stoppage for the Brighton man.
However, questions had been asked about how a firearm was present in his luggage. He managed to get it into the UK before he checked in for his return flight home.
Shortly after his release, McIntyre confirmed the gun was in his bag when he left the USA after spending five weeks locked up in Manchester on remand.
Brian McIntyre gun
“It was an honest mistake. I forgot it was in there. It had been in there for a couple of months, since May. It turned up at the airport. But it was a licensed firearm,” McIntyre told ESPN.
The admission from McIntyre that the weapon was in his bag the whole time leaves UK Border Force with egg on its face.
Severe flaws in the baggage check system at US and UK customs led to McIntyre spending time in jail when he shouldn’t have.
If the gun had been found by US or UK authorities as he arrived, none of the subsequent fallout would have occurred.
The situation cost McIntyre five weeks of his life. Further attempts to convince the UK authorities it was a simple mistake went unheeded.
Had they caught it in the first place, McIntyre would probably have been deported back to the US without any time behind bars.
Bodycam footage of the incident was played at his hearing, where McIntyre can be heard pleading his innocence.
“I swear to god, man. I swear I didn’t know that gun was in the bag.”
Terence Crawford character reference
The judge presiding over the hearing agreed with McIntryre and handed him a suspended sentence. He could have faced up to five years in prison instead of those five weeks.
“It’s clear you genuinely did not know a firearm was still in your luggage. You were genuinely upset at the problems you caused. It was a consequence of having forgotten that firearm,” the judge stated.
Terence Crawford flew over from the United States to be a character reference for his coach. It proved to be a solid help to the case.
