By Town fan receives three-year ban and hefty fine after throwing a flare
A Grimsby Town fan has been given a three-year football banning order after he threw a flare on the pitch in his team’s victory.
Lewis Flint, 28, of Pine Close, Great Coates, admitted throwing a flare onto the pitch after Notts County suffer a third consecutive loss in the play-offs with the extra-time defeat 2:1 against Grimsby on May 23.
Nottingham Magistrates’ Court heard officers were policing the Meadow Lane clash when t 9.45pm they were alerted a flare had been thrown onto the pitch by an away supporter.
A steward pointed to Flint, confirming he had thrown the flare from the stand onto the pitch.
The court heard how officers spoke with him and asked him to accompany them onto the concourse where he was arrested.
Flint already has two criminal offences on his record for battery, which were punished with a 12-month conditional discharge on September 10, 2019.
The prosecution applied for a football banning order and for prosecution costs of £85, and both were granted with the banning order to last for three years.
Flint, representing himself, was asked if he wished to address magistrates.
He replied: “No, pretty much that’s what happened. I threw it”.
He was fined £650 and must pay a victim surcharge of £65. With the prosecution costs order, the total amount to pay is £800 along with the three-year ban.
