Wrexham,North Wales - Spectator ran onto pitch and punched footballer during match in Wrexham

Published date: 12 April 2016 | 

Published by: Staff reporter
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A SPECTATOR ran onto a football pitch and assaulted one of the players, a court heard.

But Aaron Richard Davies, 23, was spared immediate custody.

The Recorder Timothy Petts said players, clubs and football associations were entitled to expect spectators not to see themselves as enforcers if incidents broke out on the field.

“That is for the referee and not for spectators to wade in and behave as you did,” he said.

“It was the entirely wrong thing to do.”

Davies, of Queensway, Caia Park, Wrexham, was due to stand trial at Mold Crown Court yesterday charged with assault, occasioning actual bodily harm on September 5 at a game between Castle Park Football Club, Flint, and Acton Village, Wrexham.

During the second half of the match, played at a school in Wrexham, with Castle Park losing, there was a physical confrontation between players.

Davies who was supporting the Wrexham side ran onto the pitch and punched one of the Flint players, student Christopher Howie.

He suffered a gaping wound to his eyebrow which bled profusely and which needed stitching.

Davies, who had earlier been heard to shout he would knock the player’s head off and used foul language towards him, was said to be aggressive with his chest puffed out, and was bouncing up and down asking if anyone else ‘wanted it’

But when the police were mentioned he ran off and got into a dark car, said Kim Halsall, prosecuting.

Davies was traced through Facebook. The police were informed and he was arrested during the early hours a couple of weeks later in Wrexham.

Interviewed, he said he saw his friend being punched on the field and claimed he acted in his defence.

Asked why he ran away he said: “Because I am a hothead and wanted to get away from there.”

In a victim impact statement the victim Mr Howie, a student and part-time barman, said he had since stopped playing football.

He had also felt embarrassed by his injuries when he met other students and tutors at university.

Mr Howie said he was a team leader at work but now felt more apprehensive if asked to deal with incidents of confrontation.

Andrew Green, defending, said it was accepted that violence during football matches was an issue which caused public concern.

It was limited to one punch and mercifully it was not as serious as it could have been.

In his basis of plea Davies said he mistakenly believed his friend was about to be seriously assaulted but he appreciated it was the wrong thing to do.

Davies was a young man with a good work ethic and if he was not jailed he could continue working and pay the victim significant compensation.

Davies was placed on a 12 month community order with 30 days rehabilitation to address anger management and conflict resolution issues.

He must carry out 180 hours unpaid work and pay £500 compensation to his victim, together with £750 prosecution costs.

The Recorder said it had been completely unnecessary for Davies to get involved but he ran across the pitch and punched one of the players leaving him with nasty injuries.

The victim needed a total of 17 stitches and Davies had been shouting aggressively before he ran away and left the scene.

While Davies had no previous convictions for assault, worryingly he had convictions for incidents of public disorder, the Recorder said.

Assaults at football matches were serious offences which could lead to custody, he warned.

see-http://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/160801/spectator-ran-onto-pitch-and-punched-footballer-during-match-in-wrexham.aspx