Three Motherwell fans have dodged football banning orders despite their involvement in pre-match disorder outside an Aberdeen bar.
Paul Marshall, 20, Connor McDiarmid, 21, and a 17-year-old boy were part of a mob of around 30 Lanarkshire fans.
They were involved in an incident outside Scotia Bar on the city’s Summerfield Terrace.
Members of the group behaved in an aggressive manner, shouting and swearing, striking a window and challenging people to fight.
The trouble unfolded on November 6 2021, shortly before the visiting side was due to play Aberdeen in a Scottish Premiership fixture at Pittodrie Stadium.
Fiscal depute David Rogers told Aberdeen Sheriff Court that around 12.30pm, a group of males – including the three accused – arrived in Aberdeen by bus to watch the match.
At first, they visited the Saltoun Arms and drank there, before leaving around 2.15pm.
Witnesses inside Scotia Bar saw the group approaching the pub, shouting and swearing and then banging on a window.
They began “goading” members of the public to fight.
One of the witnesses held the door to the pub shut to stop any further problems.
Trio guilty of breaching the peace
Police were then called “for the safety of the patrons within the bar”, the court heard.
The group walked off towards King Street, where they were traced by officers.
Marshall, McDiarmid and the 17-year-old were all identified as being part of the group, using CCTV, but it wasn’t clear what role in the disturbance each of them had played.
The court was told that their pleas were given on an art and part basis, meaning the trio agreed they were part of the group responsible for the trouble.
Marshall, of Argyll Place in Bellshill, Connor McDiarmid, of Farm Lane, Bellshill, and the 17-year-old, of Motherwell, all admitted a charge of breach of the peace.
A fourth accused, Dylan Nicholls, 24, of McLaren Drive, Bellshill, had faced the same charge but his plea of not guilty was accepted by the Crown.
‘Alcohol led to the behaviour’
Defence agent Lynn Bentley, representing Marshall, said her client works as a warehouse operative.
She told the court he had been attending football matches regularly since the crime without reoffending.
She added: “His position is he was in the company of others. He accepts he was present when the conduct took place and as such was acting on an art and part basis.
“Alcohol had been taken and that, unfortunately, led to the behaviour, which had never previously occurred and has not occurred since.”
Also representing the 17-year-old, an apprentice electrician, Ms Bentley said he had not behaved badly before or since the offence.
McDiarmid’s solicitor made similar comments, adding that his client had been a football fan all his life with no previous convictions.
He said: “Mr McDiarmid is particularly embarrassed and ashamed by this”.
‘Frightening for those within pub’
Sheriff Ian Wallace said: “It was a serious incident. It would have been frightening for those within the pub”.
He handed each of the accused a £640 fine but stopped short of imposing football banning orders.
The sheriff explained it was due to them being part of a wider group responsible for the trouble, with no actual physical violence occurring, along with their lack of previous convictions and young ages.
“It’s hoped you will have learned your lesson from this”, he added.
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