I'd call him a dick but he's probably having some life.
Ex LFC striker faces claim after more than £48,000 worth of damage discovered by Steve Graves Former Liverpool FC striker Andy Carroll is being sued for almost £200,000 after accusations that he trashed his luxurious former home on Merseyside and failed to pay the rent.
Landlords Jeff and Dawn Grant claim ex-tenant Carroll damaged antique furniture and fittings, removed items including plates and TVs from the house, and left it in such a state that it needed more than £48,000-worth of cleaning up and repairs.
The couple allege the house’s 12-metre heated indoor swimming pool was neglected so badly it became infested with algae, while items including a barbecue, garden lounger and air hockey table were all said to have been damaged.
They also say the player – Liverpool’s most expensive ever signing, at £35m from Newcastle United – missed £68,000 worth of rental payments on the £2m mansion in Hall Road East, Blundellsands, which is now up for sale.
In court papers served this week on London-based solicitors acting for the player, now with West Ham United, it is alleged Carroll took away £75,000-worth of furniture and other items, including expensive stereo equipment and CCTV cameras.
The five-bedroom detached house is set within a gated community and includes a cinema, billiard room, dance studio, steam room and gym.
Among the areas of the mansion worst affected was said to be the marble-tiled dining room, which leads on to the pool complex and Jacuzzi, and which contained a considerable amount of antique furniture.
The court papers claim chairs needed to be re-upholstered and mirrors replaced, while they also say smashed glass was found in the swimming pool area.
Carroll has so far denied owing the Grants any money, and is understood to have claimed he placed a number of items in storage in a bid to protect the £15,000 deposit he paid on moving in to the house.
He and the Grants had agreed a two-year tenancy, during which Carroll was sent to West Ham on loan, before completing a permanent move to the London club after the tenancy expired in May.
It is understood that at one stage before the move the parties had discussed Carroll buying the property outright.
Leanne Wheeler, senior solicitor at Manleys, the Chester-based firm acting for the landlords, said: “The papers have been served with him, so we are waiting for him to admit the claim or defend it.
“If he does defend it, then we will consider what he says and what the next steps will be from there.”
She added: “This was a high- spec property, and one of the terms of the tenancy was that it would be returned in the same condition as it was in at the beginning of the agreement.”
The ECHO was unable to reach Carroll or his solicitors for any comment on the legal action yesterday.
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/landlords-say-andy-carroll-trashed-5693755