A football fan who fell from the upper tier of Ipswich Town's Cobbold Stand and landed on two supporters during an FA cup match has been cleared of assault.
John Ryan, 62, was found not guilty on Wednesday, October 14, of one charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and two charges of assault by beating following a trial at Ipswich Crown Court.
The case centred on an incident during Maidstone United's FA Cup tie at Portman Road in January 2024.
Prosecuting counsel Mr Gladwell alleged Ryan, of Railway Street, Chatham, had been drinking and "deliberately threw himself off the roof" when Maidstone scored before rolling off and landing on two Ipswich Town supporters below.
A woman suffered internal bruising and a trapped nerve, while her partner was left with a sore shoulder.
The court previously heard more than 4,000 Maidstone supporters had travelled to Suffolk for the match, which ended in a shock victory for the non-league side.
Ryan told police he had drunk five cans of Foster's before the game and said he found himself moving towards the front of the stand when the goal went in. He maintained he did not intend to hurt anyone and denied acting recklessly.
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Last month, Ryan was sentenced at Maidstone Magistrates' Court over a separate incident in which he and two other men assaulted a man at Halling railway station in Kent. He was given a three-year football banning order and a community order.
Speaking outside court following the Portman Road case, Ryan apologised to the injured supporters.
He said: "I'm sorry, it was an accident.
"I'm sorry it happened, what more can I say?"
Following the incident, Ipswich Town installed glass screens at the bottom of the Cobbold Stand's upper tier in a bid to improve safety.
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