Fan spotted swigging Brown Ale at Hartlepool United home game handed three-year football banning order

Carl Morrison, 35, whose address was given in court as care of Meadowsweet Road, Hartlepool, pleaded guilty to charges of being drunk in a designated sports ground and possession of intoxicating liquor in an area of a designated sports ground from which a match might be directly viewed.

Joanne Hesse, prosecuting at Teesside Magistrates’ Court, said Sgt Adrian Dack, of Cleveland Police’s football operations unit, had been on duty at Pools’ Papa John’s Trophy clash with League One Charlton Athletic on January 25 this year.

Thirty-five minutes after kick-off, Sgt Dack was asked to go to the south west corner of the stadium by stewards, who had detained Morrison because he had been seen drinking alcohol.

On arrival, he found Morrison with a number of stewards, one of whom was holding a quarter-full bottle of Newcastle Brown Ale.

Sgt Dack was told by the club’s deputy safety office that Morrison had been seen drinking from the bottle then putting it back in his pocket.

The court heard that stewards knew the personal details Morrison had given them were false because he had been thrown out of the Suits Direct Stadium for being drunk during a previous match.

Morrison was cautioned and arrested for possession of alcohol within a sports ground.

“The officer states that while waiting for transport, he started to become abusive and agitated,” said Ms Hesse.

"It became clear he was heavily intoxicated and he was arrested for being drunk in a designated sports ground.”

Morrison had become increasingly abusive, swearing at officers and telling them they should be arresting “real criminals”.

Sgt Dack had formed the impression that Morrison was “clearly playing up” to a group of watching teenagers.

Morrison told the court he had become upset because he realised how much trouble he had caused himself “just for a bottle of brown ale” but denied he had been aggressive towards police.

“It is something I wish I had not done now,” he said.

Morrison was given a three-year football banning order, fined £200 and ordered to pay £85 costs and a £34 victim surcharge.

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