Court hears Barry McGuigan ‘tore up’ $500,000 cheque given to Carl Frampton

Barry McGuigan tore up a $500,000 cheque given to Carl Frampton post his New York hosted victory over Leo Santa Cruz a court was told yesterday.

Counsel for Frampton made the allegations as the court case brought by the Belfast fighter continued.

Frampton’s legal team alleged a cheque for six figures was destroyed to control and hide payments from the fighter.

During another day of cross-examination, McGuigan was queried with regard to the 2016 fight Frampton won to become Ireland’s second ever two weight world champion.

As previously revealed to the court Frampton’s purse was listed as $500,000, but his actual purse was to be $1.5m.

Gavin Millar QC, for the Frampton said when addressing his clients former manager: “You were prepared to participate in an arrangement where a lower bout fee was specified… than the actual bout fee, weren’t you?”

It was a statement McGugian agreed with.

“You told the US promoter who had given him that cheque that all monies had to come through you, and you ripped the cheque up,” Millar alleged.

McGuigan denied the allegation stating: “That’s complete cobblers, that’s rubbish.

“I handed the cheque back to him and I didn’t mention anything about money going to me.”

Asked why he returned it, he added: “Because that wasn’t the true figure, he knew that, and he was going to wire the money on obviously.

“The purse wasn’t $500,000, that was just what we declared.”

Counsel for Frampton continued : “On our case, which is that you tore the cheque up, the reason that you did that was that you wanted to receive the money as Cyclone so that you could control the money.”

“That’s complete cobblers,” insisted one of two legendary Irish fighters embroiled in a legal battle.

McGuigan also denied allegations Frampton wasn’t aware of the full details of the total purse.

Counsel argued: “You were concealing the details from him, you were concealing the amounts, and you were concealing the account into which the money was paid.”

Again McGuigan was emphatic in his denial: “That’s absolute rubbish, he knew about everything, he was told about everything.”

‘The Jackal’s’ legal team also raised issues and made allegations with events surrounding the Santa Cruz rematch which took place in Las Vegas in 2017.

A sparring partner had to sleep on the floor in a hall way to make room for members of the McGuigan family when they arrived stateside it was alleged. McGuigan didn’t deny that was the case but suggested it wasn’t an uncommon occurance.

Earlier, in the day the court heard expenses of £75,000 were listed for Frampton’s world title fight against Scott Quigg in Manchester in February 2016.

The figures included a bill for just over £20,000 from the Midlands Hotel in the city and McGuigan was asked if 41 rooms were booked in the hotel.

“I have no idea, I can’t remember that far back, but it was quite a few of us there, certainly in excess of 20 of us,” responded the Monaghan native.

Frampton brought a case against his firmer manager for loss of earnings of up to £6 million.

In a counter-suit, Mr McGuigan is claiming against the Belfast-born boxer for breach of contract.

Both men deny the respective allegations against them.

The case continues.