Fans banned for part in violent clashes before football derby:
TWO football fans have been spared jail after admitting taking part in violent scenes before a derby match.
More than 300 Bangor City and Caernarfon Town fans clashed with police before a fourth round Welsh Cup tie last January.
Flares, smoke grenades, bottles and coins were thrown and several police officers were hurt. One was taken to hospital with a serious shoulder injury.
Experienced police officers described the incident as “the worst football violence” they had seen.
Dion Howdle Williams, 28, of Maesincla, Caernarfon and Keaton Lee Phillips, 19, of Cae Mur, Caernarfon, both admitted charges of affray and appeared before Caernarfon Crown Court for sentence.
Karl Scholz, prosecuting, said before the match at the Nantporth Stadium groups of Caernarfon Town fans were drinking in two pubs in Upper Bangor. A group of Bangor City supporters were at the Waverley Hotel near the railway station.
He said the latter group had left the pub and were walking along Holyhead Road when they were confronted by the rival groups.
“Police had formed a line from the Belle Vue public house towards Patrick’s Bar to try and keep the groups apart. They faced two groups, including both male and female, shouting aggressively at each other egging for a fight,” said Mr Scholz.
He added some were wearing face masks and others had put their hoods up.
A number of flares and smoke grenades were thrown and the noise of the crowd was said to be deafening. Motorists, trapped by the sheer number of people in the road, were frightened by the situation, the barrister said.
The court heard the 30 police officers were heavily outnumbered and were said to be vulnerable.
Bottles and coins were thrown, hitting some of the officers.
A flare hit a female officer in the back and she believed it had been thrown at her deliberately the court heard.
Another flare hit an officer on the leg.
Phillips, said Mr Scholz, was seen on CCTV near Patrick’s bar holding a bag, and in a threeminute period ignited and threw six flares at the Bangor City fans.
The other defendant, Williams, was with other fans near the Belle Vue and was seen throwing a flare into a crowd of people.
Barristers for both men noted they were not jointly charged and that there had been several pockets of disorder with varying degrees of severity.
Richard Edwards, for Phillips, argued his client was young, with no previous convictions and was an apprentice plant operator with good prospects. He described his behaviour as out of character.
Sion ap Mihangel, for Williams, said he had acted foolishly but had had the good sense to plead guilty. He argued the court could give him another chance.
Williams and Phillips were handed ten month and six month prison sentences respectively, which were suspended for 12 months.
Both men were banned from football matches for three years.
They were also ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid community work and must pay £375 costs.