Friday, June 15, 2012

Three Celtic fans jailed over public disorder offences after Hearts match


Three Celtic fans have been jailed and banned from watching their team over a series of public order offences.
Edward Ingram, 39; Anthony Begley, 33; and Steven McGowan, 23, challenged Hearts fans to a fight after a game at Celtic Park on 28 October 2009.
They were convicted of forming a disorderly crowd, shouting, swearing, and challenging others to fight.
At Glasgow Sheriff Court, Ingram was jailed for two years, Begley for 15 months and McGowan for 12 months.
Ingram, from the Gorbals area of Glasgow, and Begley, from the city's Bellgrove area, were each given a football banning order for seven years.
The court heard that they both had football-related previous convictions.
Mounted police
McGowan, from Johnstone, Renfrewshire, was given a five year football banning order. He has no football-related previous convictions.
For the duration of their banning orders, the men will have to sign in at their local police office when Celtic matches are being played.
The court was told that the trio were not at the game, which ended in a 1-0 victory for Hearts, but formed part of a crowd which caused trouble outside the ground.
Mounted police had to be brought in to restore order on Springfield Road.
Another nine men were originally on trial but the jury returned a guilty verdict on only three of them.
Jailing Ingram, Begley and McGowan, Sheriff Kenneth Mitchell told them: "This is a serious outbreak of public disorder and a very bad example of a breach of the peace occurring after a Celtic and Hearts football match."
He added: "I have concluded that the gravity of the matter is such that the only appropriate disposal is a custodial one."
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