Birmingham City fan who punched Jack Grealish jailed again for breaching football ban
A Birmingham City fan who was previously jailed and banned for punching footballer Jack Grealish will face prison again for ignoring his football ban.
Paul Mitchell breached the 10-year order after he attended Blues ' local derby with West Bromwich Albion Championship contest in April.
Mitchell encroached onto the running track when Lyle Taylor scored the winning goal.
The 31-year-old had been banned from the vicinity of St. Andrew's Stadium following his attack on the former Villa captain in 2019.
His reasons given behind entering the stadium was 'helping' his disabled friend by accompanying him to the match.
Mitchell, of Holloway Head in the city centre, admitted offences of failing to comply with a banning order and going onto an area adjacent to the playing area at Birmingham Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, September 6.
His lawyer argued for a community order or a suspended sentence stating his client had 'turned his life around', but District Judge David Wain jailed him for 12 weeks.
Mitchell blew a kiss to his mother in the public gallery and said: "It's six weeks."
In 2019, Paul Mitchell ran on to the pitch at St. Andrew's during the second-city derby with Aston Villa and punched Jack Grealish in the head.
After admitting assault and encroachment Mitchell was sentenced to 14 weeks - of which he served four in custody - and banned from attending regulated football matches for ten years.
Birmingham City confirmed they would ban him from their matches for life.
Prosecutor Simon Brownsey, summarising his latest offences, said: "On Sunday April 3 this year Birmingham City played against West Bromwich Albion. It was a Championship fixture. The game was held at St. Andrew's.
"Birmingham City scored during the second half and this defendant was seen clearly on CCTV in the lower tier of the main stand celebrating by going onto the running track which surrounds the playing area. He then returned to the stand following the celebration. He was identified some weeks after when staff were going through CCTV."
Shabeer Qureshi, defending, called for an adjournment and for a 'pre-sentence report' to be completed by the probation service claiming his client was a 'completely different gentleman' to the one jailed in 2019.
However, Judge Wain said: "On this occasion you deliberately ignored such a ban and have done so in the most dramatic way possible.
"Not only going to the match but going onto the pitch. It was not onto the full pitch or again in a violent way."
Mitchell was also ordered to pay a £128 victim surcharge.