Football fans banned from matches after brawl at Leeds United match with Birmingham City
Football fans from the West Midlands and Staffordshire have been banned from matches for years after violent disorder broke out in Leeds last year.
A total of 18 people – including two youths – from the area were among a crowd of people involved in a brawl at Leeds United's match with Birmingham City.
Police officers and a number of stewards were assaulted at the Elland Road ground – which saw bottles and cones thrown at officers.
Trouble initially started in the West Stand towards the end of the match inside and later outside the ground for 45 minutes on October 19.
Detectives from Leeds District CID launched Operation Bandshot in the aftermath and trawled CCTV and body-worn camera footage to identify the people responsible.
They worked with West Midlands Police – with a series of appeals being launched, featuring images of the suspects. It led to 29 people, mostly Birmingham fans, identified and charged with violent disorder.
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.
Unacceptable
"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."
A total of 23 entered guilty pleas at hearings at Leeds Crown Court in July – with 19 receiving prison sentences totalling 17 years and two months, with six 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 – making up a total of 109 years together.
Five other men have pleaded not guilty and are due for trials in December, May and April. 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.
Sentences include:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
William Broughton, aged 20, of Packington Avenue, Birmingham – 15 months imprisonment and six-year football banning order. £149 victim surcharge.
Andrew Ford, aged 20, of Packington Avenue, Birmingham – nine months imprisonment suspended for 18 months, plus 160 hours unpaid work and a three-year 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.
Officers still have two remaining suspects 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 leedsdistrict.DIU@westyorkshire.pnn.police.uk
Information can also be given anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
