An opposing football fan who punched a Stirling Albion supporter during a match at Forthbank has had his sentence deferred for good behaviour.
Twenty-one-year-old Stranraer fan Andrew Kane had admitted a charge of carrying out an assault to injury on March 26 this year. Fiscal depute Amy Sneddon told Stirling Sheriff Court last Wednesday that the complainer and his sons had been watching the Stirling Albion-Stranraer match that day.
As the family walked back towards their car at 4.55pm a group of Stranraer fans, which included the accused, approached them in the car park.
Kane then stepped forward and punched the complainer on the left cheek. He tried to defend himself pushing the accused away. Kane tried to punch the complainer again, but the Binos fan managed to push the accused away. As a result of the attack the complainer had a slight bruise to his cheek.
Kane’s agent Tom Watters told Sheriff Francis Gill that his client had been following Stranraer since childhood without any trouble.
He had asked Kane if the match that day had been segregated to which he had replied ‘no’.
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Mr Watters added: “Mr Kane believed the complainer was being particularly aggressive towards members of Mr Kane’s group.
“That’s why he behaved in the manner he did.”
He also pointed to the report prepared for the court which stated that Kane had behaved ‘impulsively and recklessly’.
Kane “fully regrets his actions”, said Mr Watters, had learned his lesson, and did not seem to have any alcohol and drug misuse issues.
Mr Watters pointed out that Kane, of East Kilbride and originally from Stranaer – had a previous non-analogous road traffic conviction and nothing else outstanding.
He said Kane, in work earning £850 per week, can behave and was “very anxious” to see his club.
Sheriff Gill said that while Kane’s explanation for his behaviour was “not really satisfactory” he had expressed regret.
In view of his limited record he was prepared to defer sentence for good behaviour for six months.
Sheriff Gill however reminded Kane that a bail condition – imposed when he appeared last month forbidding him from attending any senior football match in Scotland – remained in place.
