A Newcastle United supporter attacked a fellow fan with a bottle on a train on their way back from a match after a 19-hour drinking session.
Ryan Vaughan was with other supporters heading back from an away game against Tottenham last year when troubled flared. In his heavily intoxicated state, he tried to get off the train with some other supporters in Durham but was stopped from doing so by people who were concerned he would end up stranded.
A court heard matters then turned violent when he picked up a bottle and hit another man over the head, leaving him bleeding profusely from a gash. Now the 23-year-old, of Willoughby Road, North Shields, has been given a suspended prison sentence and a football banning order.
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Newcastle Crown Court heard it was around 10pm on April 3 last year than Vaughan and other supporters were on a train with British Transport Police travelling back to the North East from watching Newcastle United play Tottenham in London. He had been drinking since the early hours of the morning and was very drunk and had consumed cocaine.
When the train got to Durham, CCTV shows a number of fans got off, with some of them patting Vaughan on the shoulder and bidding him farewell. He then went to follow them off but another man put his finger on his top to stop him getting off at the wrong stop as he was due to travel on to Newcastle.
The court heard he became insistent about wanting to get off but others stopped him as they didn't want him to get stranded.
But Vaughan then ended up picking up a bottle and hit one of the other supporters over the head and threw a punch at him. The victim suffered a gash to his head which bled heavily but he didn't want to make complaint to police.
Vaughan, 23, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to affray and was sentenced to six months suspended for 12 months with a 12-week curfew between 8pm and 6am. He must also pay £200 costs and was given a three-year football banning order.
Joe Hedworth, defending, said: "He has absolutely no recollection whatsoever of this event. He doesn't know the person he hit.
"He was visibly horrified when he saw the video. He had been drinking from 3am until 10pm. He is greatly ashamed and very embarrassed.
"It appears the other person was taunting him and provoking him. He has never been in trouble before and he has now lost his good name, which is some significant punishment in itself."
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