Football banning orders totalling more than 100 years handed to fans involved in Elland Road violence after match between Leeds United and Birmingham City

Football banning orders totalling more than 100 years have been handed out to football fans who were involved in violent clashes at a match between Leeds United and Birmingham City.
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Twenty men and two youths involved in ugly scenes at Elland Road have been sentenced for violent disorder

The majority of those dealt with at Leeds Crown Court have been jailed and handed lengthy football banning orders.

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Those convicted pleaded guilty to their involvement in incidents of disorder inside and outside the ground on Saturday, October 19.

West Yorkshire Police are appealing for help to identify this suspect over Elland Road violence in October last year.West Yorkshire Police are appealing for help to identify this suspect over Elland Road violence in October last year.
West Yorkshire Police are appealing for help to identify this suspect over Elland Road violence in October last year.

Crowd trouble began in the West Stand towards the end of the match, with stewards and police officers responding to the situation.

Further disorder occurred outside the ground and continued for around 45 minutes before the crowds were dispersed by police.

A number of stewards and police officers were assaulted during the incidents, which also saw missiles, including bottles and cones, thrown at both mounted officers and officers on foot.

Ten people were arrested on the day.

West Yorkshire Police are appealing for help to identify this suspect over Elland Road violence in October last year.West Yorkshire Police are appealing for help to identify this suspect over Elland Road violence in October last year.
West Yorkshire Police are appealing for help to identify this suspect over Elland Road violence in October last year.
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Detectives from Leeds District CID launched a detailed post-incident investigation, Operation Bandshot, and trawled CCTV and officers’ body-worn camera footage to fully capture all the offences arising from the incidents and identify those responsible.

A series of appeals were made in the media and on social media featuring images of a number of the suspects.

Enquiries by officers, along with information received from the public, led to 29 people being identified and charged with violent disorder.

Of those, 23 entered guilty pleas at hearings at Leeds Crown Court in July, with the majority sentenced there over the last few weeks.

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A total of 19 defendants received prison sentences totalling 16 years and five months, with five of those being suspended sentences.

Two youths received youth rehabilitation orders and one other defendant was given a community order.

All were given football banning orders ranging from four to eight years, to a total of 109 years.

Five other men have pleaded not guilty and are due for trials in December, May and April.

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Another man is due to make his initial appearance at Leeds Magistrates Court next month having been charged later.

A further defendant is due to be sentenced on September 28.

Detective Superintendent Jaz Khan, Head of Crime for Leeds District, said: “These were some really ugly scenes of violence and the worst crowd trouble to be seen at Elland Road for more than a decade.

“Although only a relative minority of supporters of both sides were involved in these incidents, their behaviour had a significant impact on ground staff and police officers as well as other fans and families attending the game.

“Large-scale violence such as this will always be the subject of a thorough and comprehensive investigation, and we set off on many months of painstaking analysis of what had occurred, with the clear aim of identifying those responsible and bringing them to justice.

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“Genuine fans, regardless of team loyalties, had no hesitation in condemning what took place, and the support of the public played a huge part in the success of our appeals. We worked closely with our colleagues at West Midlands Police to arrest the majority of the suspects in a series of dawn raids.

“The prison sentences and lengthy banning orders they have now received should send a very clear message to those who think they can involve themselves in similar disorder in and around football games without having to face the consequences.

“Behaviour such as theirs is completely unacceptable and has absolutely no place in football where people should be able to support their teams positively in a safe and trouble-free environment.

“What also really stands out is that the vast majority of those involved have little or no previous involvement in football hooliganism yet have rightly received significant punishments from the courts that demonstrate how these offences simply will not be tolerated.”

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Officers still have two remaining suspects (pictured) that they need to identify and are continuing to appeal for the public’s help to name them.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the investigation team at West Yorkshire Police via 101 quoting Operation Bandshot and the relevant image reference number or email [email protected]

Those sentenced at Leeds Crown Court were:

Michael Flint, aged 48, of Castello Drive, Birmingham - 10 months imprisonment suspended for two years, plus 120 hours of unpaid work and a four-year football banning order.

Callum Mahon, aged 20, of Pleck Walk, Birmingham - 10 months imprisonment and six-year football banning order. £149.00 victim surcharge.

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Kevin Hill, aged 33, of Ascot Gardens, Wordsley, Stourbridge - 10 months imprisonment and six-year football banning order. £149.00 victim surcharge.

Paul Marshall, aged 44, of Featherbank Lane, Leeds – 13 months imprisonment and six-year football banning order.

Josh Sherratt, aged 23, of Longshaw Grove, Birmingham - 12 months imprisonment and six-year football banning order.

Callum Walker-Jackson, aged 22, of Pear Tree Road, Birmingham - 18 months imprisonment and six-year football banning order.

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Lewis Beale, aged 20, of Longstone Road, Birmingham - six months imprisonment suspended for 12 months, plus 140 hours unpaid work and a three-year football banning order.

James Mahon-Ashcroft, aged 18, of Deepdale Avenue, Birmingham - A community order to complete 100 hours unpaid work and 15 days rehabilitation requirement. Three-year football banning order.

Bradley Guinivan, aged 24, of Woodclose Road, Birmingham - 13 months imprisonment and six-year football banning order.

William Cadd, aged 27, of Overdale Road, Birmingham - 12 months imprisonment and six-year football banning order.

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Thomas Allwell, aged 19, of Partridge Close, Birmingham - six months imprisonment suspended for 12 months; 100 hours unpaid work; 15 days rehabilitation activity and three-year football banning order.

Dillon Sunner, aged 24, of Lodge Hill, Tutbury, Staffordshire – 12 months imprisonment and six-year football banning order.

Michael Batchelor, aged 37, of Coney Green Drive, Birmingham – 18 months imprisonment and eight-year football banning order.

John Prestage, aged 24, of Nottingham Road, Ilkeston, Derbyshire - six months imprisonment suspended for 12 months; 140 hours unpaid work; three-year football banning order.

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Bradley Jones, aged 25, of Dickens Heath Road, Solihull – 12 months imprisonment and six-year football banning order.

Ben Smith, aged 33, of The Severn, Daventry, Northamptonshire – seven months imprisonment and six-year football banning order.

Warren Miles, aged 51, of Hopwood Grove, Birmingham – eight months imprisonment suspended for 24 months; 140 hours unpaid work; four-year football banning order.

Lewis Jackson, aged 27, of Kirkland Street, Pocklington, - nine months imprisonment and six-year football banning order.

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William Broughton, aged 20, of Packington Avenue, Birmingham - 15 months imprisonment and six-year football banning order.

Andrew Ford, aged 20, of Packington Avenue, Birmingham - nine months imprisonment suspended for 18 months; 160 hours unpaid work; three-years football banning order.

A 17-year-old youth, from Burntwood, Staffordshire, who cannot be named, was given a 12-month youth rehabilitation order; 30 days rehabilitation activity; three year football banning order.

A 17-year-old youth, from Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, who cannot be named, was given a six-month youth rehabilitation order; 15 days rehabilitation activity; three-year football banning order.