A man has been jailed for assaulting an Aston Villa player during the team's derby against Birmingham City at the weekend.
Only 10 minutes into Sunday's (11th March 2019) match Paul Mitchell, 27, of Rubery, Worcestershire forced his way onto the pitch and punched Villa midfielder Jack Grealish in the back of the head.
Mitchell was swiftly detained by stewards and arrested for assault and encroachment of the pitch.
Mitchell appeared before Birmingham Magistrates' Court yesterday, where he pleaded guilty to both charges and was sentenced to 14 weeks in prison. He was also given a 10 year football banning order and ordered to pay Mr Grealish £100 in compensation.
Superintendent Nick Rowe of West Midlands Police described the act as utterly disgraceful.
He said: "I am pleased that he has been dealt with swiftly and I hope this sentence is seen as a deterrent to anyone thinking of causing trouble at future football games. This behaviour will not be tolerated and those that do commit acts like this will be dealt with."
Chairman of the bench Alison Fisher said: "We have listened carefully what was said in court today.
"This was an unprovoked assault on a footballer doing his job in front of 23,000 spectators and thousands watching on TV, including families.
"We note that you have taken responsibility for your actions. However, this type of behaviour is totally unacceptable.
"The sentence must act as a punishment and a deterrent to others in order to send a message to the public and fans and players like Mr Grealish who should be protected at all times."
In the era of the postal requisition, where some cases take literally months to get to court, some people have commented on the swiftness of sentencing in this particular case.
The Secret Barrister on Twitter has given this helpful explanation of proceedings: "Paul Mitchell was charged with battery, contrary to section 39 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988.
"He was also charged with an offence of encroaching onto a football pitch (presumably section 4 of the Football Offences Act 1991).
"He pleaded guilty to both offences at his first appearance today before Birmingham Magistrates’ Court, the offences having been committed yesterday. A good live account of today’s court proceedings can be found here: [Birmingham Mail link]
"Many people have remarked on how quickly this case was processed - barely 24 hours between offence and sentence. But it's not unusual where a defendant is arrested, charged with a summary offence (one that can only be tried at the Magistrates' Court) and refused police bail.
"The police have the power to charge an offence of battery without needing the Crown Prosecution Service to authorise the charge, so the process is quicker. A defendant charged and kept in police custody will be produced at the Magistrates' Court the next day."
To add to his woes Birmingham City Football Club has banned Mitchell from home matches for life. A second Birmingham supporter, who posted abusive social media comments about Mr Grealish in the wake of the attack, has also received a lifetime ban.
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