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‘Drunk and stupid’ Linlithgow Rose fans apologise after flare thrown at Scottish Cup tie in Forfar

From left: Joshua Bell and Jordan Kennedy both pled guilty at Forfar Sheriff Court.
From left: Joshua Bell and Jordan Kennedy both pled guilty at Forfar Sheriff Court.

A football fan “taunted” police with a flare amid the chaos following an Angus fixture, a court heard.

The fourth-round Scottish Cup tie between Forfar Athletic and junior side Linlithgow Rose was abandoned due to floodlight failure on January 19.

Station Park became wreathed in smoke as visiting supporters lit flares in the darkness.

Linlithgow men Jordan Kennedy and Joshua Bell appeared at Forfar Sheriff Court and admitted throwing a flare and running on to the pitch respectively.

Their solicitor said the pair were “both clearly drunk, both clearly stupid” and apologised for their actions.

Bell, 22, of Deanburn Road, pleaded guilty to running on to the pitch and committing a breach of the peace, which Kennedy denied.

Kennedy, 19, of Lovells Glen, admitted culpably and recklessly throwing a pyrotechnic smoke flare into a stand filled with spectators, to their danger.

Not guilty pleas to Kennedy possessing a smoke flare and both being drunk in the stadium were accepted by the Crown.

Depute fiscal Joanne Smith said there was no prearranged police presence at the game, which quickly changed due to “unruly behaviour in a small section of Linlithgow supporters”.

“Police attended at 7.50pm and a number of smoke flares were active in the Linlithgow stand,” she said.

They were confronted by Kennedy, who was holding a smoke bomb.

She added: “Mr Kennedy was taunting police officers while holding the item prior to his being restrained he launched the lit pyrotechnic to the south stand which still contained supporters.

“Mr Bell ran from the stand, jumped the barrier and ran on to the playing field towards Mr Kennedy.”

Ms Smith invited the court to consider a football banning order for both men.

Bell is to start a degree in criminology at Falkirk, but defence agent John Hall said the offence “was not the kind of coursework” he had imagined.

Sheriff Pino Di Emidio imposed a six-month community payback order on Bell, with 60 hours of unpaid work, but made no banning order.

Kennedy’s sentence was deferred to April 7 for the preparation of reports, and the consideration of a banning order.