Man just gets out of jail free after strip Monopoly turns into jealous brawl

A game of strip Monopoly ended in a jealous row – and a man nearly going straight to jail. Gary Williamson, 22, a kitchen manager, persuaded his girlfriend and another woman to play the risque version of the popular board game at his flat. Instead of paying rent when they landed on another person's property, they paid up by losing an item of clothing. But when the three were naked, it is alleged that the other women made a play for Williamson, sparking a brawl among the three players.

The scuffle got so out of hand that it ended up with the police being called and Williamson being arrested and charged with assaulting both the 20 year-olds. He only escaped jail because the two women were too embarrassed to give evidence. Ian Dacre, prosecuting at Blackpool Magistrates Court, said: "The charges arose from a somewhat unusual game of Monopoly – strip Monopoly. They players had been drinking and they all ended up stark naked." One of the young women the took exception to the behaviour of the other.



"An argument started and one of the girls said she was headbutted by the defendant and the other said she had her hair pulled by him." Williamson was the boardgame's Boot with his girlfriend Leah McDonnell the "Battleship" and Micha Robinson the "Racing Car". Williamson denied the assaults and District Judge Jeff Brailsford was told by the prosecutor that both the women had not attended court to give evidence. The prosecutor said: "It may well be that their decision not to attend is that they are both embarrassed by what happened."

The judge refused to allow the case to be adjourned. But when the Crown offered no evidence he dismissed the charges stating: "I have taken the view that the two girls may not wish to attend taking into account what is said to have gone on." Robert Castle, for the defence, said: "My case would have been that my client's girlfriend was annoyed by the other girl's advances towards him and that all he did was to try and keep them apart." Outside court Williamson said: "I am glad that's not hanging over me – I shall not be playing Monopoly again."