England footballer Morgan Gibbs-White is due to face a court hearing after allegedly failing to register an XL Bully dog in his possession before the legal deadline following their ban across the country. The 25-year-old failed to register his XL Bully, named Harlo, by the required February deadline. The attacking midfielder recently signed a deal to stay with Nottingham Forest for the next three years after a £60million bid from Tottenham.
Gibbs-White was initially due to appear in Nottingham Magistrates Court this week in relation to the alleged offence, but the hearing was postponed by a month according to reports from The Sun. It is understood that some Premier League footballers have owned these dogs as a form of protection due to the threat of potential home invasions or thefts, though it is not known if that was Harlo’s role.
However, with the breed now banned and Harlo being unregistered, the authorities are seeking an order for the dog’s destruction.
Every XL Bully had to be registered with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs following a series of deadly attacks from these type of dogs, which have been bred for their extreme strength and use as personal protection.
Owning an XL Bully and failing to do this is typically treated as a criminal offence. However, Gibbs-White is only facing a civil offence, which he will answer to next month.
With Harlo never having attacked anyone, it is believed that the England star’s dog may yet avoid a death sentence. The midfielder resides in a plush £700,000 home in the nearby affluent area of East Bridgford, with his fiancee Britney De Villiers.
Upon securing Gibbs-White’s services for another three years, Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis stated: “Morgan is a special player – not just in terms of talent, but character and mentality. He represents what we want this football club to be: he is a winner, talented, ambitious, fearless, and proud.
“There was significant interest from various clubs, but we were determined to build our future with Morgan at the heart of it. I promised our fans we would not only compete, but grow stronger and stronger every season.”
After putting pen to paper on his new contract, Gibbs-White expressed: “I’ve felt at home at Forest from the moment I arrived.
“The support from the fans, my teammates, and everyone around the club has been unbelievable. I believe in what we’re building here – and with the backing of Mr Marinakis and the enormous ambition he has, I want to be part of making something special. I’m excited for what’s to come.”