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Football fans jailed for Aston Villa v Blues derby day violence

Two football fans from the Black Country have been jailed with five others over disorder which broke out at last year's Aston Villa and Birmingham City derby.

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The two clubs met in the League Cup in September at Villa Park in a match classified by police as high risk. About 400 officers were drafted in on September 22 to keep the opposing supporters apart.

But before the match started, a 200-strong gang of Birmingham City fans tried to break through a police cordon to reach rival supporters.

Birmingham Crown Court heard how police were subjected to abuse and spitting while missiles between the two sets of supporters rained down on them.

Following a police appeal six handed themselves into police and pleaded guilty to affray.

Aston Villa fan Harry Steward, 30, of Daw End Lane, Walsall, also admitted affray after being seen by police throwing a coin at City fans after Villa's 1-0 victory. He was jailed for eight months.

Others jailed for eight months were Daren Naven, 46, of Queslett Road, Great Barr, Arron Richards, 24, of Ridgewood, Shard End, Birmingham, Joshua Moore, of Warstoll Lane, Kings Heath, Birmingham, and Sean Timlin, 24, of Church Road, Yardley, Birmingham.

Jack Beddows, 20, of Kings Heath High Street, Birmingham, was sent to a youth offenders institute for six months.

Dean Powell, aged 49, the oldest of the group and of Rickyard Piece, Quinton, received nine months because he entered a guilty plea at a later stage in proceedings.

Jailing the men Judge Patrick Thomas QC told them: "The incident we've seen reflects the behaviour of a mob fuelled by drink.

"Anyone seeing the footage we've seen would be appalled – I think you were as well. The threat level was high. Police were called upon to exercise calmness and discipline to prevent something much more serious happening.

"This could have escalated into something really really nasty," he said.

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