A Manchester City fan who pushed a British Transport Police officer onto the tracks and into the path of an oncoming train at Wigan Wallgate station has been jailed for two years and banned from all football matches for six years.
James Patrick Andrew Pearson, 30, has also been banned from attending any organised football match for the next six years after he appeared at Liverpool Crown Court on Friday, 1 April, having pleaded guilty to endangering safety with intent and assaulting a police officer.<br><br>The court heard Pearson, of Avril Close, Stockport, had been to the Wigan Athletic v Manchester City football match on Sunday, 19 September, and had travelled to Wallgate station to catch a train back to Manchester.<br><br>A large number of fans were at the station and were in boisterous mood, chanting football songs and generally being rowdy.<br><br>Pearson walked onto the platform and was chanting songs and goading other fans in an attempt to get them to join in.<br><br>A fan was heard to shout ‘Push a copper on the track’ and was ejected from the station by officers.<br><br>Whilst the man was being removed Pearson became even more vocal and pushed PC Taylor off the platform – just as a train was about to pull into the station.<br><br>Detective Constable Nikki McVey, investigating for BTP, said after the case: “PC Taylor was standing near to the platform edge to protect passengers and to prevent them being inadvertently forced onto the tracks by the sheer number of people at the station.<br><br>“Thankfully the train pulling into the station was scheduled to stop and PC Taylor was able to move to a safe location – had it been travelling through the station the outcome could have been very different.”<br><br>DC McVey added: “BTP simply will not tolerate any behaviour which puts its officers, rail passengers or rail staff in harms way and will do everything in its power to seek the strictest sanctions against offenders.<br><br>“Pearson’s irresponsible behaviour put an officer’s life at risk and the sentence reflects the severity of the offence.<br><br>“The behaviour of this one man is not reflective of football fans in general who, in the main, are well behaved if sometimes a little over exuberant.<br><br>“When individuals step out of line or take things too far we will not hesitate to take action and will seek banning orders to prevent fans from attending future matches.”<br><br>Once released from prison Pearson will be banned from attending any organised football match in England or Wales until 1 April 2017.
Separately, a Sunderland fan has been jailed for attacking rival supporters on board a train.
Craig Hamilton, aged 34 from Haswell, County Durham was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment at Teesside Crown Court on Friday, 18 March 2011.
Hamilton was returning by train from the Wigan Athletic versus Sunderland football fixture at Wigan on Saturday, 11 September 2011. During the journey Hamilton became involved in a verbal altercation with three Leeds United fans travelling on the train. He then, without provocation, began punching and kicking them in the head. Police were alerted and officers met the train as it arrived at Darlington, and Hamilton was arrested
One of the victims received hospital treatment for a broken nose.
PC John Stubbs, BTP’s North East area Football Intelligence Officer, said after the case: “This was a completely unprovoked attack by Hamilton who took offence to his victims simply because they didn’t support the same football team as him. Abusive, anti-social or violent behaviour of this type on trains is totally unacceptable and will not be tolerated by police.
PC Stubbs added: “We work in partnership with Home Office police forces and football clubs around the country in order to build up an intelligence picture of risk supporters that can have an impact on our policing of home and away games.
“The granting of a custodial sentence by the court sends a strong message that behaviour such as this is not welcome on the railways or at football matches.”
