Hampden yob lout on the lash in Spain
THREE MONTHS INTO NINE-MONTH SENTENCE
A FOOTBALL thug who attacked a fan on the Hampden pitch at the Scottish Cup final has been filmed partying in Spain after serving less than a third of his jail sentence.
Darren McDonald, 40, got nine months on January 14 for invading the pitch and kicking a rival supporter on the ground. But less than three months later, he
was out – and having fun in the sun with his pals in Benidorm.
Facebook pictures show the convicted hooligan whooping it up with a group of shirtless men on the beach, and singing and dancing in a new pub in the resort on April 8.
Ulsterman McDonald rubbed shoulders with former Coronation Street star Charlie Lawson and Benidorm actor Tim Healy at the grand opening of the Benidorm Northern Ireland Supporters Bar.
A source said: “He was standing on chairs and getting right into the swing of things. He didn’t look like he’d been humbled by his time in jail.
“It seems a bit odd that he was able to swan off to Benidorm after less than three months.”
The prison service in Northern Ireland declined to explain why McDonald was freed so early.
Rangers fan McDonald was one of hundreds of yobs from both sides who poured on to the pitch at Hampden after last May’s Rangers-Hibs final, which Hibs won 3-2 with a last-gasp goal.
He was photographed running at a Hibs fan on the ground. He aimed a vicious kick at his victim but lost his footing and slid into him.
The victim was struck in the head and left curled up in a ball on the pitch. McDonald ran away.
Sickened fans shopped him after his
photo appeared in the Record and he was jailed at Glasgow Sheriff Court.
McDonald, from Ballymena, pled guilty to running on to the pitch and kicking the fan.
He was given a three-and-ahalf-year football banning order as well as the prison sentence.
The court heard he was already in Maghaberry jail in Northern Ireland for another offence. Sheriff Stuart Reid ordered him to finish that sentence before starting his new one.
Despite that, McDonald was able to fly to the Spanish sunshine this month with around 25 fellow Rangers fans from his home town.
They had a five-day jolly to celebrate a friend’s 50th birthday, and they were in high spirits when they joined Charlie and Tim at the supporters’ bar.
Video posted online shows McDonald singing along to Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline while Rangers supporter Charlie plays to the crowd.
The thug was easily identified by his tattooed right arm, which also gave him away in the Hampden photos.
A source told us: “McDonald lives for Rangers matches and he loves partying with his mates.
“That’s what gets him into trouble. He has a self-destruct button which goes off when he’s boozing, and that can lead to violence.”
McDonald wasn’t happy to hear from us this week when we called him to ask about his holiday.
He confirmed that he had been on the trip and had returned last Monday. But he then told our reporter: “You can stick your Daily Record up your a***.
“This is none of your business. I was given permission to go on a trip to celebrate the birthday of a family member.”
The Northern Ireland Prison Service operate a conditional early release programme. It states that offenders must serve at least half their sentence before they are freed.
But a spokesman would not be drawn on how McDonald came to be let out so early. He said the service could not comment on individual prisoners.
A spokeswoman for the Probation Board for Northern Ireland said: “We cannot discuss the specific details of any individual.
“However, if an individual who is subject to supervised licence breaches the conditions of that licence, immediate action is taken which may include initiating recall proceedings.
“This can result in an individual being returned to prison.”
McDonald has spent years following Rangers. Photos of him celebrating his team’s victory over Celtic in last season’s Scottish Cup semi-fnal appeared on the Ballymena Legends Loyal Facebook page, which is run by another fan.
He is also a dedicated supporter of the Northern Ireland national team, and he spoke to the press last summer when one of his friends tragically died in the French city of Nice during the European Championship finals.
McDonald said of 24-year-old Darren Rodgers: “He was with us all day, went on the bus to the match with us and the next thing we heard was that this had happened.
“He was just a bubbly character who was full of life – not a bad bone in his body.”