Football thug in tears over sentence

A Sunday league football thug who tried to headbutt a referee burst into tears as he was spared jail.

Christopher Yewen saw red during a match between two Tipton pub teams last November, becoming violent towards the referee and punching one of his own team mates in the face.

He was warned at West Bromwich Magistrates Court that he could face prison, but as he was sentenced yesterday, he cried as magistrates gave him a suspended eight week sentence and ordered him to get treatment for anger management.

Yewen, aged 25, admitted two counts of common assault following the ill-tempered game between the Tipton Sports and the Tipton Kings Arms teams at the Greets Green Recreation ground. The court heard that he had become annoyed when the referee "lost control of the game". Prosecuting Sarah Jackson said: "During the match the defendant became extremely abusive. Because of the foul language he was using he was given a warning and sent off. A member of his own team had approached him to ask why he got sent off and the defendant immediately punched him to the face."

Yewen, of Greensill Avenue, Princes End, later stormed back onto the pitch and tried to headbutt referee Steven Durnall, aged 23, from West Bromwich after one of his team mates suffered a broken leg in a tackle. He was pulled away by pals and did not make contact but waited for the official after the match and tried to attack him again outside the changing rooms.

Miss Jackson added: "He had shouted a abuse at the referee throughout the rest of the match. He later admitted in police interviews he had every intention of hitting him and threw his head towards him but he was stopped by his team mates."

Mr Andrew Chowdhury, for Yewen, said: "There were some very bad injuries during this game, one man was kicked in the face, another broke his leg, and both were on my client's team yet when it happened the referee gave the other side a free kick. He had no control over the game.

"One of the first things my client said to me months ago was that he had anger management problems, he knows what he has done an is extremely sorry for it."

Yewen was given an eight week sentence for each count of assault, both suspended for 18 months. He was also ordered to pay compensation to the victims of £350 and £60 court costs and banned from playing competitive football.