HULL FC winger Jason Crookes has been convicted of assaulting two women after a row about him "photobombing" a picture.
Crookes, 23, slapped one of the women and punched another in the face after he jumped into a photograph they were taking in the Soho bar.
He argued with Amy Williamson after he grabbed her from behind, tightly squeezing her, while she was having a photograph taken by her friend Jodie White.
Last night, Hull FC owner Adam Pearson said: "We feel the player has been harshly dealt with and we stand by him.
"We all make mistakes and Jason has paid for his. We all now move on and the player has our full support."
Although he denied the assaults, Crookes later met Miss White to apologise in a meeting arranged by the club's assistant coach Lee Radford.
Miss Williamson told a trial at Hull Magistrates' Court: "We were taking photographs and he jumped in. I was posing for a picture and he came up behind me and grabbed me, which hurt me.
"I said something to him about it hurting and we started arguing. I can't remember what was said and then he slapped me. I was really shocked."
Deputy district judge Philip Houlden dismissed Crookes' claims he acted in self-defence as "bizarre" and "far-fetched".
Crookes, who is 5ft 11in and weighs 15st, was caught after the picture of him taken by Miss White was published in the Mail as part of Caught on Camera.
He had been out drinking with teammates Joe Westerman and Jay Pitts after the players took part in The Xmas Factor on December 17 last year when he assaulted the women.
The event was part of Kirk Yeaman's testimonial celebrations.
After Miss Williamson was assaulted, she slapped Crookes around the face before leaving the bar with Miss White. Crookes followed them into the street.
Miss White said she shouted: "What kind of man hits a woman?" when he approached them.
Crookes responded by punching her in the face, sending her stumbling backwards.
She suffered a black eye.
Miss White told the court: "It all happened very quickly. All I know is I was pretty shocked because I had just been hit in the face."
Coach Lee Radford later sent 25 text messages to Miss White's father asking to arrange a meeting between Crookes and his daughter.
Crookes said he wanted to "clear my name and show I'm not a bad person" and denied wanting to meet her so she would drop the charges.
He said he "apologised for any inconvenience" at the meeting but Miss White told the court he said sorry for hitting her.
They met at Subway at Kingswood Retail Park on April 18 – nine days after Crookes was told he would be facing assault charges.
During his trial, Crookes told the court: "I am a role model to hundreds of kids and young adults. I am not one to go around hitting girls, getting drunk and being a lager lout.
"If I had hit her, I wouldn't want to come face to face with her dad. I said sorry for the inconvenience, not sorry for hitting her. I was trying to sort it out and show I'm not a nasty person."
Crookes claimed he did not hit Miss Williamson and that she had slapped him, but he could not remember why.
He said he followed the women outside to "make peace" and that he held his hands up to defend himself after Miss White went to hit him.
Judge Houlden said: "Mr Crookes could remember certain things very well and other things not at all. I was very surprised he could not recall what he said to Miss Williamson to cause her to slap him.
"I was very uneasy with his explanation that he went outside to 'make peace', which seemed to be an odd expression to use. I was also uneasy with the meeting at the retail park. It was four months after the event and, given he was supposed to be the injured party, I found that quite bizarre.
"The fact he was assaulted by two separate women within a short space of time for no apparent reason strikes me as being quite far-fetched."
Crookes was given a 12-month conditional discharge and was ordered to pay £125 compensation to Miss White, £50 to Miss Williamson and £600 court costs.
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