Instagram/Stacey Murray
The wife of Brighton striker Glenn Murray has been arrested along with her goal scoring husband and accused of tax evasion. Stacey Murray was taken into custody at the couple’s mansion in Sussex on January 23, reports the Sun.
The tabloid reports that officers took items from the couple’s home “including computers.” In a statement to the newspaper, the tax office said, “A husband and wife have been arrested as part of an HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) investigation into a suspected £1.1 million tax fraud. HMRC officers arrested the man and woman at a residential property in the Brighton area yesterday morning. The man was arrested on suspicion of evading Income Tax and VAT, and cheating the public revenue. The woman was arrested on suspicion of evading Income Tax, and cheating the public revenue. The property was searched by HMRC investigators. Computers, business, and personal records were seized during the operation. The couple were interviewed by HMRC and have both been released under investigation. Investigations are ongoing.”
Glenn and Stacey Murray married in June 2014 and have a daughter named Alba and a son named Harley together. Since January 2017, Glenn has been back playing for Brighton and Hove Albion. The club was promoted to the Premier League for the 2017/18 season for the first time ever. He has scored seven goals in all competitions so far this season.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Stacey Is a Former Lifestyle & Parenting Blogger
Instagram/Stacey Murray
Stacey ran the fashion, lifestyle and parenting blog, Little Miss Alba, named for her daughter. At the time of writing, the blog has been removed. On the blog’s Facebook page, it reads, “My name is Little Miss Alba. Follow my life journey through my own eyes PLUS my love of fashion and all things GORGEOUS. My new Blog is now LIVE xxx.” The last update on the Facebook page came in February 2017.
In an interview with Racked, Stacey described the stresses of relying on her daughter’s mood for content saying, “If she doesn’t want to do it, then we don’t do it. We both get those ‘no’ days where you just know you’re not going to get any kind of picture. But then there are other days when there’s an outfit that she really loves, and she just won’t want to take it off and will flounce around in it for ages.” Though Stacey added, “This allows me to stay at home with my daughter, and work with her as well. It’s really nice.”
2. The Couple Runs an Event Organizing Company Together
Instagram/Stacey Murray
Glenn and Stacey run an event organizing company named Studio Play. On their website, Stacey says the company have run events for Glenn’s club, Brighton and Hove Albion. The website refers to Stacey as an “experienced PR director.” Their slogan is “Make the unmade, be the unbeen.” It also includes a glowing endorsement from the BBC’s Allison Ferns that reads, “Not only do Stacey and Daisy have a wealth of creative ideas, they also deliver them with such passion and energy you would think it were their own event. Best of all, it’s all executed with maximum style and minimum fuss.”
Prior to her daughter’s birth, Stacey told Racked that she worked in Beauty PR. According to her Facebook page, Stacey studied acting at the Laine Theatre.
3. Stacey Was Happy to Return to Brighton With Her Husband as She’s a Native of the City
Instagram/Stacey Murray
Shortly after moving back to Brighton, Glenn told the Guardian that his family were happy to moving back to Brighton. In a separate interview, Glenn told Sky Sports that his wife is a native of Brighton.
4. Stacey Called Her Wedding Dad ‘the Best Day of My Life’
Twitter/Stacey Murray
Stacey and Glenn were married on June 8, 2014, according to posts on their various social media accounts. On Twitter, Stacey wrote, “The best day of my life – marrying my best friend.” Stacey’s maiden name was Dawson. In an interview with Life and Style, Stacey described her and her husband making time for each other despite their busy schedules, “Glenn gets a day off in the week so I will sometimes take the morning to do some retail therapy or get my nails done. We are pretty lucky with babysitters too and always go on date nights together and mini breaks if there are a few free days in the season. It’s so important to keep that relationship alive and make special time for each other.”
5. Glenn Murray Is Not the First Soccer Player to Be Accused of Tax Evasion
Glenn is far from the only soccer player to ever find himself in trouble with his taxes. Since 2013, Lionel Messi, arguably the greatest player of all time, has repeatedly faced questions about his taxes. In July 2016, Messi and his father pleaded guilty to tax fraud and both were sentenced to nearly two years in prison on suspended sentences and find nearly $2 million each. Famously, when asked about the fraud, Messi told a judge, “I just played football.”
