Three men have been jailed for their parts in a “ferocious” assault that left a football fan with bleeding on the brain following the Scottish Cup quarter-final between Rangers and Celtic.
The attack took place outside Ibrox stadium in Glasgow on March 8 after Celtic won the match 4-2 on penalties.
Scott Dragsness, 55, and Ben Stanex, 24, both from Belfast, and Andrew Graham, 21, from Dundonald, had admitted carrying out the attack.
Details of the assault
The Crown Office said the three men, all from Northern Ireland, knocked their 48-year-old victim to the ground as he was trying to board a Celtic supporters’ bus. They then proceeded to kick and stamp on his head and body with such ferocity that he was left lying unconscious in the road, the court heard.
They also shouted abuse at him relating to religion, with prosecutors telling the court the attack was a hate crime motivated by religious prejudice. The man was taken to nearby Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, where scans revealed a bleed on the brain.
Evidence and sentencing
A police drone monitoring the dispersal of fans from Ibrox stadium captured the entirety of the attack, while a further recording was captured by a motorist stuck in traffic near the supporters’ bus.
Dragsness, Stanex and Graham all pleaded guilty to a charge of assault to severe injury and danger of life at Glasgow Sheriff Court on October 7. At the same court on Wednesday, Dragsness was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment while Stanex and Graham each received a 12-month sentence. The three were also handed seven-year football banning orders, meaning they cannot enter any football ground in the UK or travel to support any team.
Sheriff’s remarks
In his sentencing remarks published online, Sheriff Andrew McIntyre told the men they had each been involved in a “concerted act of serious violence”.
“As part of the attack the complainer was punched and fell to the ground,” he said. “Whilst he was on the ground the attack continued and he was repeatedly kicked on the head and body and he was stamped upon. Such was the ferocity of the attack that he lost consciousness and was seriously injured. To inflict such violence on a person was an inherently dangerous act which posed an obvious danger of the complainer’s life. To make matters worse, during the attack abuse relating to religion was shouted at the complainer.”
The sheriff told the trio the custodial sentences were necessary to protect the public and act as a deterrent to similar offending. He added that community sentences would be “inadequate” because they would “fail to reflect the seriousness of the crime or the community’s disapproval (of) sectarian, football related violence”.
Official responses
Fraser Gibson of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, who is procurator fiscal for Glasgow and Strathkelvin, said: “Football-related violence is a blight on Scotland’s communities. It will not be tolerated. The victim in this case was subjected to mindless sectarian thuggery by the three accused, who were visitors to the city. It should be understood that anyone who involves themselves in football-related disorder can expect to be held accountable by COPFS, Police Scotland and the courts using every tool available to us.”
Police Scotland Superintendent Derrick Johnston said: “This was a brutal attack and I am in no doubt that this will affect the victim for the rest of his life. The assault was witnessed by a number of members of public and captured on mobile phone footage at the time. Everyone has the right to attend a sporting event with their family and friends without having to witness this disgraceful and shameful behaviour and should be able to go home unharmed. We will not tolerate football-related violence and will ensure that those responsible are held to account.”
