Sunderland chief executive Margaret Byrne has seen her resignation accepted by the Premier League club.
Byrne offered to stand down in the wake of the conviction of the club’s former player Adam Johnson, who was found guilty on one count of sexual activity with a child after pleading guilty to an additional count of sexual activity with a child and a charge of grooming.
Johnson, who signed the Sex Offenders’ Register after his conviction, was found not guilty on a fourth count at Bradford Crown Court on March 2.
And the club has issued a statement describing some of Byrne’s decisions before the trial – when Johnson remained on the club’s books – as ‘wrong’ and ‘taken by Margaret in error’.
‘Sunderland AFC acknowledges that Margaret’s intentions have always been to act in the best interests of the club, however it has become clear through our own internal investigations that in this instance decisions have been taken by Margaret in error,’Â the statement reads.
‘Whilst swift and decisive action was taken to terminate Mr Johnson’s employment upon his guilty plea, decisions taken prior to this, including the decision not to suspend him for a second time pending the outcome of the trial, were wrong.’
Johnson was sacked by the club in the near-immediate aftermath of his initial guilty pleas, but the 28-year-old claimed in court to have told Byrne some details of his involvement with the 15-year-old schoolgirl as long ago as May 2015.
The player remained under contract with Sunderland until February 11, having made more than 20 appearances for the club in the months since the conversation he claims to have had with the CEO.
Johnson accepted in 4 May 2015 meeting with SAFC chief Margaret Byrne that he kissed and sent messages to underage schoolgirl, court hears
— Josh Halliday (@JoshHalliday) February 24, 2016
Byrne has issued a statement of her own, in which she says she was ‘astounded’ when she learned Johnson had pleaded guilty to two of his charges, but that allowing the player to continue representing the club was an ‘error’.
‘I recognise that, as CEO, my involvement with Mr Johnson and the decision to allow him to continue to represent the club was a serious mistake,’ Byrne’s statement reads.
‘I sincerely regret that this error has impacted on the victim, the club, its supporters and all those affected in such a devastating manner.’
