England rugby star Billy Vunipola has broken his silence on the incident at a Palma club in the early hours of Sunday morning in which he was arrested. "I can confirm I was involved in an unfortunate misunderstanding when I was leaving a club in Mallorca on Sunday, which got out of hand," he said in a statement on X. He was sentenced to four months in prison and fined 240 euros.
However, he denied reports that they was any violence. Media reports on the island had suggested that eight officers and two Taser shots were needed to subdue the England star. "Contrary to media reports, there was no violence, no fight and I did not threaten anybody at any stage, with bottles or chairs or anything else. I was charged with resisting the law, following an "express trial." I have paid a fine of 240 euros. The Spanish police investigation is now closed and I am flying back to the UK today."
The England star continued: "I will obviously co-operate with the Saracens (his club) internal process and unreservedly apologise for any inconvenience to all involved."
The National Police in a statement said: "In the early hours of yesterday morning, at 4.30 am, the National Police proceeded to the arrest of a 31-year-old foreign man, for a crime of disobedience and attacking a police officer.
"The police officers tried at all times to get him to calm down, but the man would not listen to reason. At that moment, the man pushed and slapped an officer and a policeman pulled out his electric stun gun and fired, hitting a projectile in the wallet, which did not discharge.
"A second projectile was then fired, which did the job, and it was then that the officers jumped on him and proceeded to immobilise him by shackling him, later taking him to Son Espases Hospital for assessment and arrest."
Billy Vunipola climbed off the bench to make his England debut against Argentina on their 2013 summer tour and in his short time on the field bulldozed over for his maiden international try.
Born in Sydney and the son of former Tongan international Fe’ao, Billy and his brother Mako qualify for England through residency. Billy won his first eight Test caps consecutively before injury ruled him out of the Wales match at Twickenham in March 2014.
Appointed as one of three vice captains to Dylan Hartley in the new Jones era, Billy was pivotal to their historic Grand Slam win with man of the match displays against Scotland, Ireland and France. Injury struck to limit his involvement to just two games in the 2017 Six Nations as England made it consecutive Championships and then shoulder surgery denied him the chance to tour with the British & Irish Lions to New Zealand. 2018 was a similar story as injuries kept him on the sidelines but he returned in time to earn selection for England’s summer tour to South Africa.