Football Fan Admits Throwing Himself Into Crowd After Drinking

A 62-year-old football fan has admitted to consuming five cans of lager before an FA Cup match in January 2024, and subsequently falling from the upper tier of Ipswich's Portman Road stadium onto spectators below, causing injury to one woman.

John Ryan, who was supporting Maidstone United, is currently on trial at Ipswich Crown Court. He denies two counts of assault by beating and one count of actual bodily harm. The incident occurred during a match that kicked off at 12:30 p.m.

Prosecutor Simon Gladwell presented CCTV and social media footage showing Ryan rolling onto the roof of a lower stand before falling into the crowd. Ryan claims the wall was too low to prevent his fall and stated he did not know if he had been pushed. Gladwell countered that the action was deliberate, asserting Ryan "deliberately - effectively - threw himself on the roof to roll down it," and was at least reckless to the potential for causing injury.

Joanne Peters suffered internal bruising and a trapped nerve, while her partner, Aaron Ruse, experienced soreness and stiffness. The trial is ongoing.