Fan denies throwing flare into Dens disabled section

Man, 19, accused of endangering safety of supporters at Dundee game

A lit flare was thrown into the disabled section of the crowd at Dens Park during a Premiership match, a trial has heard.

Callum Jeram, 19, is facing claims he endangered the safety of football fans during Dundee’s Scottish Premiership game with Hibernian on February 22 2019.

The teenager, who lives in Edinburgh, is accused of being in possession of a smoke grenade and throwing it into the crowd, to the risk of their injury.

He has denied the charges and his solicitor Kevin Hampton suggested to witnesses it was a case of mistaken identity, with someone else throwing the pyrotechnic at Jeram who then “threw it away to prevent himself being injured”.

Doorman John Shun, who was working as a crowd steward during the game, told the court he was sure about seeing Jeram setting off the flare in the Shankly stand.

The 26-year-old said: “I saw the flare being taken out and lit. It produced green smoke.

“I got it straight in the face as he was two rows in front of me.

“It got thrown from the back (of the stand) into the front and landed in the disabled section.”

There were people in the disabled section at the time of the incident, the court heard, but no injuries were recorded.

Jeram, however, had a burn on his hand after the flare was thrown, Mr Shun said.

Cross-examining him, Mr Hampton said: “If I said you were mistaken about seeing it being taken out and lit by the accused, what would you say?”.

Mr Shun replied: “No, I’m not mistaken”.

Fellow match steward Christopher Robertson, 61, also took to the witness stand, confirming he saw Jeram throwing the smoke grenade.

He said: “He was holding it up in his hand.

“He actually threw it down to the bottom of the stand.

“We had to wait until half time, until he came down, and then we got the police involved.

“The police then got hold of him.” Mr Robertson conceded there was a possibility Jeram could have picked up the flare after it was thrown to him, but said he did not see this happen.

The trial will continue on Monday.

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He was holding it up in his hand. He actually threw it down to the bottom of the stand. CHRISTOPHER ROBERTSON, MATCH STEWARD