A Wolves fan who mocked the seven people killed in the A66 tragedy has been banned from football for four years. Bradley Aston, 20, pleaded guilty to a public order offence after footage was posted on social media of him smiling and holding up a mobile phone towards Middlesbrough fans, with the message "Police Killed Your Own" clearly visible on the screen.
Aston, a second-year university student from the Coalpool area of Walsall, was arrested at the end of Middlesbrough's 1-0 win over Wolves at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday. He received an eight-week jail term suspended for a year, but magistrates in Wolverhampton told him he would have been jailed were it not for recent changes to sentencing rules.
Sentencing and Background
Deputy district judge Steven Jonas said: "This was unbelievably serious and prior to the passing of the Sentencing Act 2026, there is no doubt in my view that you would be going directly to custody today." He added: "The words that you used were intended to cause not just maximum offence but, as importantly as that, they were intended to provoke a response. That could have resulted in a substantial disorder. Not only have you offended a vast number of people, you deliberately ran the risk of causing a substantial violent reaction."
Two police officers, PC Matthew Blades, 37, and PC Tom Clough, 38, died when a VW Passat car travelling the wrong way down a dual carriageway crashed into a force vehicle. All five occupants of the Passat, Cole Robert Worthy, 17, Theo Rae, 17, Makai Saddington, 18, Jakub Matusiak, 23 and Michael Robert Cahill, 23, also died at the scene.
Impact and Consequences
Cleveland Police's chief constable condemned Aston's "vile" actions for causing distress and anger among her workforce, the wider community and to officers' families. In a statement read to the court, she said: "My officers have faced an unprecedented level of trauma that will stay with them forever. To see such a vile message has created feelings of grief, anger and dismay."
Aston was kept in custody for his own safety after the footage was posted on social media, the court heard. He was now considering withdrawing from a sport performance analysis course, and the judge told him he would not impose the maximum football banning order of five years, saying: "You are remorseful and most importantly you are only 20 years old."
Court Orders
Defence solicitor Askara Rana said Aston was embarrassed at his actions and acted without thinking. She said: "Not only has he let himself down, he has let his family down, as well as the wider community." Aston's mother was in court to view the proceedings.
Aston, who also works as a driver, was ordered to pay a £154 victim surcharge and £85 in costs. He was banned from going within three miles of Molineux before, during and after home games, as well as being banned from other grounds and matches at Euro 2028, and ordered to carry out community work.
