Jacob Helmsley, 24, made offensive gestures to opposing fans during Brighton and Hove Albion’s January 14 match against Crystal Palace.
He had entered the field of play to celebrate a goal scored by Brighton and Hove Albion, and he had made gestures to enrage Crystal Palace fans.
He then ran back into the stands in an attempt to avoid detection. But thanks to excellent CCTV, club staff kept track of him and were able to hand him over to the police for an arrest just minutes later at half time.
“Mate, I just ran on the pitch in front of all those people,” he said to officers.
He claimed he had no idea he would be arrested and questioned as a result, and that he only discovered the gravity of the offence too late.
Helmsley, of Amaryllis Road, Burgess Hill, was charged with violating the Football Offences Act by entering the playing area of a football match.
On June 9, he admitted the offence and was fined £400, plus a £40 victim surcharge and £85 court costs, at Brighton Magistrates’ Court.
In recent months, we have seen a concerning rise in the number of incidents of fans going onto the pitch,” Sussex Police’s dedicated football officer PC Darren Balkham said.
“Helmsley claimed he was only celebrating and having fun, but he accepted responsibility for the disruption and apologised.” At the game, he was seen antagonising opposing fans.
“Fans who enter the pitch without permission endanger players, club staff and stewards, other fans, and themselves.”
This conviction demonstrates that anyone invading the pitch is breaking the law, and we will not tolerate it.
We are determined to pursue and prosecute offenders in collaboration with Brighton and Hove Albion.
Helmsley was issued a three-year Football Banning Order, which prohibits him from attending any football events in the UK and from travelling when the England team is playing outside the UK.” Brighton and Hove Albion are also interested in him.
“This is the cost he must pay for his moment of insanity.”
A spokesperson for Brighton and Hove Albion said: “We are pleased with the verdict and grateful to Sussex Police and the court for their assistance in prosecuting the offender.
“There is never an excuse for fans to leave the stands and enter the pitch in this manner, as it endangers their own and others’ safety.
“We saw a worrying trend in pitch incursions across the UK at the end of last season, and all supporters should be reminded that this is a criminal offence.
The safety of players, officials, stewards, and staff is critical, and it is critical that they can go about their work without being disrupted or fearful of pitch invasions.
As a result, in addition to the court’s punishment, he will face a significant ban from all home and away Brighton & Hove Albion fixtures.
