A Leicester City fan who ran onto the pitch during the club’s FA Cup match with Nottingham Forest and assaulted three players has been banned from attending football matches for ten years.
Cameron Toner (19), from Whetstone, ran onto the pitch as Nottingham Forest players celebrated their third goal and punched three of the players.
He was arrested at the ground and charged with going onto the area of play at a football match and three charges of assault.
He pleaded guilty at Nottingham Magistrates Court, where the CPS applied for a Football Banning Order. Toner was sentenced to four months imprisonment for the assaults, fined £100 for encroaching on the pitch and issued with a football banning order preventing him from attending any club or international matches for ten years.
Marianne Connally from the CPS said: “Cameron Toner committed an act of unprovoked violence in front of thousands and in doing so left the criminal justice system no option but to prevent him from attending future matches.
“The CPS is determined to play an active part in protecting the vast majority of football supporters who want to attend and enjoy the games.
“We continue to work alongside the police and courts to bring those whose behaviour deteriorates to criminality to justice and will apply for football banning orders to ensure fans who do commit offences at games will not be able to return to games and put the safety and enjoyment of others at risk.”
The CPS is currently working with the police, clubs, player bodies, football authorities to explain how these crimes are prosecuted and what information is needed to pass the charging threshold and build strong cases against fan disorder.
Douglas Mackay from the CPS said: “We will not tolerate blatant football fan criminality and stand ready to work with the Police to prosecute such cases. There is no place for unauthorised pitch invasions in football and we want the game to be enjoyable for everyone and not have actions that could deter people from attending matches.”
