Ex-Man United player Morrison fined £1,000 for using dead person's blue badge

The former Manchester United player has been convicted of fraud and fined £1,000 after pleading guilty to using an out-of-date disability permit he 'bought from someone at Old Trafford'.

Morrison was served the fine at Manchester Magistrates Court on Thursday after council enforcement officers began an investigation into a white Audi S3 that was parked displaying a blue badge in May.

The permits entitle the holder to free parking, but are only given to those with physical disabilities or limited mobility.

Every badge is checked by traffic wardens when they are used to determine their legitimacy, and upon checking the permit of Morrison's car it was found that the original badge holder had passed away in February 2022 - meaning it was no longer valid.

The vehicle was hit with a penalty charge and towed to the Manchester pound. Morrison then reclaimed his vehicle on the same day.

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During his interview under caution, Morrison claimed he purchased the badge from 'someone in Old Trafford' for £50.

Morrison was charged with one count of fraud and fined £1,000, and also ordered to pay costs of £508.32 and a victim surcharge of £400.

A spokesperson for Manchester City Council said: "This ruling shows that the law is applicable to everyone, with no exceptions.

"I am grateful for the diligent work of our investigating officers, as well as legal counsel, who were able to successfully prosecute this case.

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"Our officers patrol the streets daily to ensure that blue badges are used legitimately, and we will not hesitate to take action if we discover people trying to circumvent the law."

Morrison was tipped for stardom when he came through the academy ranks at Manchester United, making his first-team debut at the age of 17, but his career has been one of unfulfilled potential.

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According to United legend Rio Ferdinand, Sir Alex Ferguson 'thought he was the best player he had seen at that age' and would go on to become a superstar.

But Morrison - whose poor attitude would often rub his coaches up the wrong way - ultimately left Old Trafford under a cloud in 2012 to join West Ham, where his career also fizzled out after a bright start.

He's had a journeyman existence ever since, with spells at clubs in Italy, Mexico, Sweden, the Netherlands, while he most recently played in England for Derby County. He was then brought by Rooney to DC United, where he is still on the books, but he did not play in the 2023 Major League Soccer season after being cut from the roster.

Morrison has previously admitted to talkSPORT that there are a lot of things he would change about his behaviour during his early Old Trafford career if he had the chance.

"If I could go through my life again, there are a lot of things I would change," he said during an interview with the station in 2020.

"I grew up at United, I was there from Under-9s, and I would skip training some days. I would wake up and just not go.

"But now it's hard to get me off the training field, so if I would go back to those days I think it would have been a lot better."