Chris Eubank Jr trainer charged with two firearm offences after airport arrest
Chris Eubank Jr's trainer Brian 'BoMac' McIntyre has been charged with two firearm offences after being arrested at Manchester Airport on Sunday morning by armed police.
McIntyre was due to board a flight to Atlanta when he was placed under arrest by Greater Manchester Police, who have since charged him with possession of a firearm and possession of ammunition for a firearm without a certificate. The American had just coached Eubank Jr to a career-best performance in Saturday night's TKO win over Liam Smith at Manchester's AO Arena.
McIntyre was remanded into custody after attending Stockport Magistrates Court on Monday, and is next due to appear at Manchester Crown Court on Monday, October 9, police told BBC. Daily Mail reported earlier today that armed police officers arrested McIntyre at the departures lounge in Terminal 2 after a routine scan showed a loaded gun and ammunition in a checked bag.
"Officers were called to reports of a possible firearm being found in hold luggage by airport staff at Manchester Airport," Greater Manchester Police said in a statement today. "GMP officers attended, and the firearm was seized. Subsequently, a 53-year-old man was arrested for possession of a firearm and was taken to custody for further questioning.
"Brian McIntyre from the United States of America was charged with possession of a firearm and possession of ammunition for a firearm without a certificate."
Chris Eubank Jr set for second Liam Smith fight after activating rematch clauseMirror Fighting have reached out to Manchester Airport, Greater Manchester Police and the airline in question for comment. Reps for Chris Eubank Jr have refused to comment. However, Eubank's cousin Harlem has taken to Twitter to voice his support for McIntyre, posting "FREE BOMAC!"
A Manchester Airport spokesperson opted not to comment, deferring to the Greater Manchester Police's previous statement after confirming that the GMP arrested a man on Sunday morning after routine security checks. It has also been noted that police officers patrolling Manchester Airport are often armed, and their presence does not necessarily indicate a direct threat.
It comes after a stunning performance from Eubank Jr against Smith, who had knocked out his rival in their first meeting at the AO Arena earlier this year. The Brighton native had never been stopped before in his career, but insisted on activating his immediate rematch clause and showed out in the return bout, which was rescheduled a few times before last Saturday's show.
It was the latest in a string of big nights for McIntyre, who in July orchestrated arguably the greatest performance of the year from Terence Crawford as he stopped Errol Spence Jr in Las Vegas. The trainer had come in for criticism from his opposite number Derrick James in the build-up, but got the last laugh as Crawford made history by becoming a two-weight undisputed champion.
Crawford's win made him the first man to ever achieve the feat in the four-belt era, having won all the belts at super-lightweight before moving up to welterweight and repeating the accomplishment. The only other fighter to have done it is Claressa Shields, with Jermell Charlo able to add his name to the list this month when he faces Canelo Alvarez for the super-middleweight belts.