BBC pundit and former England footballer Eni Aluko cries as she leaves court in Barbados

BBC pundit and former England footballer Eni Aluko cries as she leaves court in Barbados after she was warned for breaching coronavirus quarantine by leaving her hotel and taking public transport

  • Eni Aluko, 33, was left in tears outside court in Barbados after she was caught breaching the country’s quarantine rules for visitors on social media
  • The former England footballer was seen on social media after she left her hotel
  • She stayed at the Little Arches Hotel as she waited for her Covid-19 test results 
  • The results – which came back negative – were delayed but she still left the hotel  

Former England footballer Eni Aluko was left weeping as she left court in Barbados following a breach of her coronavirus quarantine. 

Aluko, 33, was reprimanded for leaving her hotel accommodation and taking public transport on Friday despite her Covid-19 test results being delayed. 

She was spotted after images surfaced on social media, she was tracked down by Barbadian officials and given a warning in court.    

The BBC pundit was charged with disobeying the order of the Chief Medical Officer and was left in tears as she was escorted out of court. 

BBC pundit Eni Aluko (right) was in tears as she exited a courthouse in Barbados having been brought in for breaking her quarantine period as she awaited her Covid-19 test results

Aluko, 33, was tracked down by police after breaching her mandatory hotel quarantine

Aluko, 33, was tracked down by police after breaching her mandatory hotel quarantine

The former England international (left) came before a Magistrate who reminded her that she knew her actions were wrong to leave her hotel as she waited for her Covid-19 test results

The former England international (left) came before a Magistrate who reminded her that she knew her actions were wrong to leave her hotel as she waited for her Covid-19 test results

Aluko’s results eventually came back negative for Covid-19 but at the time she left her hotel that was undetermined and her actions were considered a risk to general population. 

Magistrate Douglas Frederick, who oversaw Aluko’s hearing, warned the former England international that her venture out of the hotel placed others at risk. 

Aluko said in her defence that she was confused by the rules on movement as she waited for her results, and she was not prevented from leaving by the hotel.  

Barbados has recorded 138 Covid-19 cases and of those so far there have 108 recoveries and seven deaths.  

Aluko (right) previously was an international footballer for England and remains high-profile

Aluko (right) previously was an international footballer for England and remains high-profile

She was guided up the steps to the Magistrates court and was contrite in her statements

She was guided up the steps to the Magistrates court and was contrite in her statements

Aluko, England Women’s 10th most-capped player, stayed at the five-star Little Arches Hotel during her stay in Barbados, with prices starting at £228-a-night. 

When questioned the BBC pundit accepted that she was aware that as a visitor to Barbados, she knew she was supposed to stay indoors until the Covid-19 test results came back.  

‘I came here on the basis that there were more relaxed rules,’ Aluko was reported to have said in court by Barbadian publication Nation News. 

‘I love Barbados. I came here in 2015. I came here for vacation. I would never, ever try to break any rules.

‘I understand that I should have waited on the test. I didn’t think I had to, I thought I had to wait a maximum of time. Honestly, your worship if they had stopped me from leaving. I would have complied.’

Aluko works as a television pundit having retired as a player and is often seen on the BBC

Aluko works as a television pundit having retired as a player and is often seen on the BBC

With the hearing concluded, Aluko stood in tears on the steps of the court and said that while she was not fined or imprisoned for her actions, she was planning to pay a fine regardless as an acceptance of her wrongdoing. 

The offer made by Aluko was said to have been seen as a sign of contrition by Magistrate Frederick. 

Aluko, who is now the Sporting Director for Aston Villa women’s team, grabbed headlines last month following a social media row with ex-Chelsea team-mate Bethany England regarding the UK government’s furlough scheme.

In a tweet on her Twitter profile, the 33-year-old wrote that furloughing ‘is needed but has created a culture of do-nothing entitlement.’ The most was widely criticised and was later deleted, coupled with an apology for ‘any offence caused’.  

Aluko is the latest former footballer to fall foul of quarantine rules after former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes was visited by police last week after he hosted an illegal house party for his son’s 21st birthday, despite further lockdown rules being imposed in Oldham. 

Greater Manchester Police attended the football coach’s £3.5million property after he went ahead with celebrations for his son Arron’s 21st last Friday despite a new lockdown being imposed at midnight on Thursday.  

Under the new lockdown rules, which came in force after Oldham saw a 240 per cent surge in cases at the end of last month, residents are not allowed to invite social visitors beyond those in their support bubble into their homes.

More to follow.