Man deliberately fell on Ipswich fans, trial hears

A football fan deliberately threw himself to a lower tier of a grandstand during a match, a court heard.

Maidstone United supporter John Ryan is accused of falling from the upper tier on to a section of home supporters at Ipswich Town's Portman Road ground during an FA Cup clash in January 2024.

The 62-year-old of Rochester Street, Chatham, Kent denies two counts of assault by beating and one count of actual bodily harm.

Opening the trial at Ipswich Crown Court, prosecutor Simon Gladwell told the court Ryan had been intoxicated and injured a woman and a man in the lower tier.

"He deliberately - effectively - threw himself on the roof to roll down it," Gladwell said.

"It was a deliberate action, and he was at the very least reckless as to what injury he would cause."

Ryan was among more than 4,000 Maidstone United fans who had travelled to Portman Road for the game.

Gladwell told the court he had consumed five cans of lager ahead of the match that kicked off at 12:30 GMT.

The jury heard that when Maidstone scored, Ryan could be seen rolling on to a roof and off the end of it, before he landed on the crowd below.

CCTV and social media footage of the incident was shown to the jurors, and Gladwell said Ryan claimed the wall was so low, he "could not stop himself" from falling and that he did not know whether he was pushed.

Ryan landed on Joanne Peters and her partner Aaron Rose.

The court was told Peters suffered internal bruising and a trapped nerve, while her partner was left with "soreness and stiffness".

The trial continues.

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