Football fan banned for inciting near riot

A LIFELONG Saints supporter has been banned from football matches for two years after he admitted inciting violent scenes at McDiarmid Park.

Teenager Cameron Lorimer was described in court as an “instigator” at a major disturbance following St Johnstone’s historic League Cup final victory in February.

Around 100 supporters gathered at the ground to welcome the Perth players’ return, just hours after the final whistle was blown at Hampden Park.

Perth Sheriff Court heard that Lorimer led about 40 younger fans in a hostile and aggressive clash with police and stadium stewards.

The 19-year-old crashed through barriers and lobbed a glass bottle into the crowd, narrowly missing one person, while other members of the group set off flares.

Lorimer, of Staffa Court, North Muirton, appeared in the dock to plead guilty to a breach of the peace charge.

He admitted, while acting with others, forming part of disorderly crowd, forcing his way through security barriers into restricted areas of the stadium and forcing others to do the same.

The crowd chanted, set off smoke flares, charged towards buses and banged on windows.

Lorimer further admitted culpably and recklessly throwing a glass bottle into the crowd, placing members of the public and police in danger of serious injury.

He admitted a breach of Covid laws by taking part in a gathering of more than two people.

Sheriff Francis Gill told him: “You should not have attended at McDiarmid Park at all because that was a breach of coronavirus regulations.

“But your behaviour was completely unacceptable and matters could easily have escalated to become something considerably more serious.”

Lorimer was ordered to carry out 150 hours of unpaid work and fined £1,150.

He was banned from attending any football matches in the UK for two years.

Fiscal depute Nicole Lewis said: “At around 6.15pm, stewards at the stadium contacted police to say that approximately 100 football fans had gathered in the grounds.

“These events took place at a time when Scotland was in lockdown and attendance at the stadium was a breach of regulations.”

She said: “Immediately as the buses pulled up and parked, the accused knocked over two metal barriers.

“He barged past stewards and signalled to others to do the same.

“Around 30 to 40 other people followed the accused and knocked over the other barriers.”

Ms Lewis said the fans began banging on the bus windows and setting off flares.

“The stewards stated that the actions of the accused and the group were particularly hostile and caused a great deal of fear and alarm,” she said.

“Police and stewards had tried to create some distance between the group and the buses to let the players disembark safely.

“However, in doing so the group then began pushing into police officers and continued acting aggressively and hostile.

“The accused was repeatedly observed to be the main instigator, inciting people to push back into police.”

Lorimer was seen throwing a glass bottle into the throng.

“It narrowly avoided striking a person,” said Ms Lewis.

“Staff and police were eventually able to bring the situation under control.”

Lorimer was identified and later traced by investigators.