He admitted one count of assault by beating
A 39-year-old man has been banned from attending football matches for three years after he assaulted a Lincoln City player during a match earlier this season.
During Lincoln City’s League One fixture with Gillingham at Priestfield Stadium on Saturday, August 7, then-Imps defender Tayo Edun opened the scoring early in the game and set off celebrating.
He ran beyond the barriers near the stand full of Gillingham supporters, one of which was Ross Mitchell, 39, who got up out of his seat and shoved the 23-year-old defender.
The supporter was then removed from the stadium by police afterwards, who later arrested and charged him with assault.
English full-back Tayo Edun played for the Imps until summer 2021. | Photo: Lincoln City FC
Edun, who now plays for Blackburn Rovers after leaving the Imps in summer 2021, read an impact statement in court in which he stated that he is now wary of crowd interaction as a result of the incident.
Mitchell initially denied the charge of two counts of assault by beating, after it was alleged that he had also shoved another Lincoln player, Cohen Bramall, during the altercation.
It was argued that Edun had goaded the home fans to provoke a reaction, but Mitchell admitted one count of assault by beating rather than the original charge of two counts.
The banning order handed to Mitchell at Maidstone Magistrates’ Court means that he cannot attend any of Gillingham’s home and away matches, as well as England national games in the UK, for three years.
He was also fined £623 and ordered to pay £620 in costs.
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