Harry Redknapp shouts: ‘Stop staring’ at detective

HARRY Redknapp lost his cool at his football bungs trial yesterday as he shouted at a detective for “staring”.

The Tottenham Hotspur manager told a jury: “I am a fantastic football manager, not a hard-headed businessman” as he denied tax dodging.

There were fierce exchanges with prosecutors when he took to the stand for the first time.

Redknapp, 64, interrupted proceedings to vent his anger at Detective Inspector Dave Manley. Turning his head across the room at Southwark Crown Court, Redknapp said: “Mr Manley, will you please stop staring at me. I know you are trying to cause me a problem, OK.”

Redknapp said: “I’ve got no business acumen whatsoever”, after telling jurors how his mind was on David Beckham while he signed off a six-figure bank transfer from Monaco to the United States account of his co-accused, Milan Mandaric.

He said he hired the best accountants in London to keep his books and prevent any tax problems.

Redknapp said: “I have always paid my taxes. I’ve always gone to the best available people… I have always paid too much tax, rather than not enough.”

When asked about the day he opened the account in the name of his dog, Rosie, Redknapp replied: “It would be a waste of time giving me forms, because I would have probably left them on a deckchair when me and Sandra went to the beach.”

During three hours of questioning Redknapp told prosecutor John Black, QC, it was not clear what the Crown was accusing him of.

“You have got three different bonuses,” Redknapp said. “I think really and truthfully you are not too sure where you are going.”

He said: “I’ve never been greedy in my life” as he was asked about his disputes with Mandaric over bonuses at Portsmouth.

The trial was adjourned until today.