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Daily Record
Daily Record
National
Connor Gordon

Offshore worker who lobbed cup at Hearts star at Celtic park banned from games

An offshore worker who threw a cup towards Hearts star Barrie McKay at Celtic Park has been fined £790.

Zack Griffiths, 25, was also banned from attending all football matches for three years. Griffiths, of Aberdeen, pled guilty to behaving in a threatening or abusive manner on December 2 2021.

Glasgow Sheriff Court heard that the Hoops faced Hearts in a match that they would go on to win 1-0. Ex-Rangers winger Mr McKay went to take a corner near the safe standing section of the stadium during the match.

Prosecutor Lauren Aitchison said: "Griffiths threw a cardboard Coca Cola cup at the Hearts football player Mr McKay. It did not hit Mr McKay as it did land next to him."

CCTV was used to identify Griffiths who was removed and arrested.

Ron Mackenna, defending, told the court that Griffiths is a first offender who works offshore.

The lawyer added: "He was given the opportunity to go to the game - he is not a regular football attendee.

"He got caught up in the atmosphere and he accepts he did something that was foolish."

Sheriff Mark McGuire told Griffiths that his actions could have goaded others to act how he did.

Hearts' Barrie McKay (SNS Group)

The sheriff said: "If others acted this way, then matters could have quickly escalated.

"It could have snowballed and presented a serious bout of public disorder at what was already a highly charged situation.

"You are clearly not an unintelligent man - why you decided to act in this way - an intelligent man - is beyond me.

"You require to be sentenced in a way that brings home not only the consequences of your offending but to deter others from acting in the way you have done."

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