A BARROW AFC hooligan from Lindal took only minutes to mock the judge who barred him from all matches for three years.
Daniel David Thompson swore and shouted vile songs at police officers during a friendly between Barrow AFC and Carlisle United FC on July 23. That game was just one of four where he was known to have been troublemaking, Furness Magistrates' Court was told yesterday.
The 24-year-old, of Ulverston Road, Lindal, was sentenced for a Section 5 public order offence he had pleaded guilty to.
Read more: Barrow football hooligan taunted police about notorious cop killer
Despite hearing in court how police used his Facebook page to track his links to a group of troublemakers, Thompson went onto social media to liken deputy district judge Derek French to Mr Bean and call him “useless” after the hearing.
Mr Peter Kelly, prosecuting, told the court Thompson is part of a group of people who attend Barrow matches calling themselves “The Mindless Few” or “TMF”. On July 23, he said, Thompson repeatedly swore at an on-duty officer policing the friendly shouting at him to “Come on then”.
He also sang a song about Harry Roberts – a career criminal who murdered three officers – being his “mate” and “shooting police in the back”.
Thompson later went on to harass Carlisle fans heading home from Barrow railway station.
The court also heard from DC Claire Cannon-Parkread, a dedicated football officer for Cumbria Constabulary. She explained that she and her colleagues track members of at-risk groups and Thompson had been identified as one of around 15 to 20 members of TMF known to police.
She said: “In the last 12 months, Barrow have had seven arrests at various home and away matches and we’re finding that each match is getting quite verbal.”
Thompson had previously been arrested for a Section 5 offence at an away game in Chorley and given a fixed penalty, the court heard.
In March, when Barrow were away at Chester, he was part of a group who congregated in the city centre letting off flares and later invaded the pitch. In April, he and others taunted away fans at Barrow v Wrexham, loitering by the bus and abusing them as they left.
The banning order means Thompson is not allowed to enter a specified area surrounding Barrow’s Holker Street ground and must report to the police on away days.
Deputy district judge French gave him the minimum of the three to five year ban which could have been imposed. He also imposed a £140 fine, a £30 victim surcharge and £85 court costs.
Afterwards on social media Thompson appeared unaware that a football banning order does not only apply to Bluebirds matches, and will even oblige him to hand in his passport during international tournaments, bragging about “only” being banned from Barrow games home and away.
Read more: Two Barrow AFC fans arrested for alleged coin throwing at football match
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here