Former Blackburn Rovers academy player – who starred for 9 Lancashire clubs – to be deported from Australia
A striker has been deported from his new home in Australia after being fired by a Lancashire football team for having sex in the manager’s dugout.
After graduating from Blackburn Rovers’ academy, Jay Hart made national news in 2015 after being caught on camera performing an inappropriate deed while wearing the team’s uniform at Clitheroe FC.
After two Melbourne women successfully petitioned the immigration minister to expel the 34-year-old journeyman from Australia, he is now awaiting his impending deportation back to the UK.
Sarah Fardy and Cara Greedy, who both met Hart through dating apps, obtained two intervention orders against him.
In addition to being found guilty of several assaults, the former Longridge Town and Rossendale United striker had two intervention orders issued against him by Melbourne women.
Hart, who has been on a student visa in Australia since 2020, most recently played for Melbourne’s Sydenham Park Football Club before Ms. Fardy informed the team of his actions, leading to the cancellation of his registration.
Hart allegedly became possessive and obsessive, moving into her home before demanding to drive her to and from work every day and even accompanying her on interstate business travels, according to Ms. Fardy.
When he threatened to harm himself, Ms. Fardy reported him to Victoria Police. “Every time I ask my partner to leave the house and give me some space, he threatens to take sleeping pills, pulls a knife, and is suicidal,” she added.
A police background check exposed the terrifying truth of Hart’s threats against women. After learning about his convictions for assault, Ms. Fardy remarked, “… (the officer) comes back and goes, ‘you’re in danger, do not go home, you have to stay at a friend’s house?
“Police had to come around to my house for a tech sweep,” she continued. They looked at my phone. They discovered a tracking device in my car that was registered to him after he made three attempts to mirror my phone to mirror his.
In a statement, Ms. Fardy and Ms. Greedy stated that women should feel safe. “We are entitled to justice when it is due and to be heard.”
An emotional phone call Ms. Fardy sobbed in a social media video earlier this week as Mr. Burke personally delivered Hart’s deportation to her over the phone. He is heard stating, “I’m sorry for everything you’ve been through.”
“The department prepared the documentation so I could review Hart’s visa status, which came to my office yesterday.
“And last night when I sent you the text message, that was to let you know Border Force had arrived at his home to place him in detention,” I said, canceling his visa at 5:20 yesterday.
Prior to a stint in Bhutan’s national football league, Hart played for Colne, Ramsbottom United, Padiham, and Nelson. He is currently in immigration detention and will be returning to the UK on the next aircraft.
Mr. Burke told the Lancashire Post, “A courageous Australian woman contacted my office last week, voicing concern about the likely threat to other women caused by the continued presence in Australia of a visa holder from the UK.”
If I suspect someone of harassing, molesting, intimidating, or stalking people in Australia, I have the authority to revoke their visa. The perpetrators of domestic and family abuse are not tolerated by this government.
I already have to turn away a lot of fine people who want to visit Australia. This man can go; we don’t need him here.
The incident at Clitheroe FC After a 4-1 loss to Mossley AFC in 2015, Hart made national headlines when he was seen having sex with a female fan wearing his Clitheroe FC shirt in the manager’s dugout.
After the video was shared on social media, the club fired him, and his ex-girlfriend Bryony Hibbert, who is the mother of his two kids, called his actions “a disgusting act.”
He claimed that people made fun of him on the street. “I considered suicide several times when I was at my lowest,” the Accrington native told BBC Sport.
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