By Staff Reporter

Last updated at 12:58, Tuesday, 08 June 2010

Football hooligans put on what a judge described as a “frightful exhibition of violence” following a cup tie between Carlisle United and Portsmouth last autumn.

• Video: Watch CCTV footage of the disturbance

Portsmouth fans after the Carlisle cup game

Carlisle Crown Court heard that supporters clashed in Botchergate hurling bottles, chairs, stools and metal poles.

Students who were celebrating freshers’ week screamed in terror.

One Portsmouth fan was jailed yesterday, two others received suspended sentences, and another four were ordered to carry out community work.

A Carlisle fan – Robert Grieve, 25, of Stonegarth, Morton – also received a suspended prison sentence. All eight have been served with football banning orders.

Recorder Ahmed Nadim, sitting as a district judge, said: “All of you contributed to a large-scale disturbance between rival supporters.

“This involved throwing missiles at each other not caring on who they landed and what damage they did.

“Those not involved in throwing objects contributed by shouting, swearing and gesticulating. It was a frightful exhibition of violence.

“None of you could complain if I were to pass custodial sentences.”

The clashes came almost two hours after the third-round Carling Cup tie between Carlisle United and Portsmouth on the night of September 22. Portsmouth won 3-1.

Portsmouth fans celebrating their victory clashed with Carlisle supporters outside the Border Rambler, Party Party and Walkabout.

The court saw CCTV footage showing missiles being thrown.

One Portsmouth fan hurled a chair with such force he dislocated a shoulder and had to be treated at the Cumberland Infirmary.

Daniel Stevens, 28, of Cromwell Road, Southsea, admitted affray and was jailed for eight months and given a football banning order for six years.

He was seen on CCTV throwing a metal pole.

Grieve, the only Carlisle fan charged, was spared jail after the judge saw testimonials showing that he was “fundamentally a decent person” who had “acted out of character”.

The former soldier, who served in Iraq, pleaded guilty to affray and received an eight-month suspended sentence.

He was ordered to do 180 hours unpaid work and given a three-year football banning order.

Casey Crispin, 21, of Folkestone Road, Portsmouth, and Christopher Furniss, 34, of Ardingly Drive, Worthing, also admitted affray.

Crispin was given an eight-month suspended prison sentence, ordered to do 150 hours unpaid work, banned from matches for three years, and subjected to an 8pm-5am curfew for four months.

Furniss was given a five-month suspended sentence, ordered to do 120 hours unpaid work, banned from matches for three years and subjected to the same curfew but for three months.

Shane Banks, 27, of Kings Road, Waterlooville; Steven McLenaghan, 40, of Chatsworth Avenue, Portsmouth; Westley Mowle, 30, of Cuthbert Road, Portsmouth; and David Ranscombe, 31, of Westover Road, Portsmouth, all admitted threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour.

They were ordered to carry out 140 hours of unpaid work and banned from matches for three years.

An eighth Portsmouth fan, Joshua Barnes, 20, of Eastfield Road, Southsea, admitted the lesser offence of behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress.

He was fined £250 and ordered to pay £100 costs but was not banned.

All nine had appeared previously but the cases were adjourned until yesterday for pre-sentence reports.

First published at 11:22, Tuesday, 08 June 2010
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk