Walsall football hooligan in Tom Kirwan chants is given three-year ban
A football?hooligan who taunted opposition fans and once sang songs about murdered Wolves fan Tom Kirwan has been banned from attending matches for three years.
Baby-faced Walsall FC fan Joshua Jessop stormed the Banks's Stadium pitch after the Saddlers' final home game of the season against Bury in April, magistrates were told.
The 18-year-old was said to be part of a 20-strong 'risk group' of Walsall fans known to provoke disorder with opposition fans. Yesterday, Walsall Magistrates' Court heard the defendant had previously been cautioned by the police and had signed a Football Behaviour Contract.
Prosecuting, Mrs Jayne Yeomans said the Well Lane resident ran onto the pitch after the final whistle and started to taunt Bury fans: "He left the pitch and was arrested on May 16."
Mrs Yeomans said police and the crown were requesting to ban Jessop from football matches as he had a record of being involved in trying to provoke disorder.
The court was told he was part of a group of 20 Walsall fans who had been involved with trouble at various games. Against Wolves he and other thugs chanted songs about fan Tom Kirwan who was murdered in a Wolverhampton nightclub last year, Mrs Yeomans said.
He admitted a single public order offence for the disorder against Bury. Mr David Nash, defending, did not oppose the football match ban. Magistrates banned Jessop from all football games for three years and fined him £110. He was also told to pay £85 court costs and a £20 victim surcharge.
Daniel Arrowsmith, 22, of Douglas Davies Close, Willenhall, also appeared. He admits a single public order offence linked with trouble after the Saddlers' final home game. He will appear again before magistrates at Walsall on August 7.
