An arrest warrant has been issued for former Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge after he failed to appear at a Los Angeles court in a case involving his pet pomeranian.
An arrest warrant has been issued for former Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge after he failed to appear in court in Los Angeles.
Sturridge retired from professional football this summer and last played for Perth Glory in April 2022. The 34-year-old has played for Chelsea, West Brom, Manchester City, Trabzonspor and Bolton Wanderers, as well as Liverpool. , during his playing career.
In July 2019, Sturridge asked people to help find his pet Pomeranian named Lucci after it was reported stolen from his home in Los Angeles. Sturridge offered a reward to anyone who helped find his beloved dog. It was later revealed that Foster Washington, of American rapper Killa fame, shared the photos on social media and took credit for helping Sturridge reunite with his pet. However, it was claimed that Washington did not receive the promised money for Sturridge’s payment, leading to a civil lawsuit.
In December 2021, a Los Angeles court ordered Sturridge to pay Washington $30,000 (£22,400) as part of a unilateral judgment. This meant that Sturridge, who played 26 times for England, did not respond to the appeal.
According to the Mail Online, Sturridge was ordered to return to an LA court in September for a “debtor’s trial”. That would have meant Sturridge would have had to answer questions about his finances.
The report states that Sturridge did not attend the hearing and it is now claimed that the former Liverpool forward has now been served with an injunction. This means that the judge has issued a summons to arrest the defendant (Sturridge) and bring him to court. The date of the new session is set for November 30.
Sturridge appeared on Sky Sports as a pundit during the opening weekend of the Premier League season on August 13 between Chelsea and Liverpool – two of his former clubs – at Stamford Bridge. However, the former striker has not appeared as a pundit since August
Washington claimed it spent more than $US10,000 ($8,186) on legal fees in the lawsuit, according to the same report. Washington said why the case is so important to him.
“For me, it’s a matter of principle,” Mail Online quoted Washington as saying. “He promised me money. It is a significant amount of money that can change the life of my family.”
