Aston Villa fan escapes ban for throwing missile after court hears he was “emotionally drained”

An Aston Villa fan who threw a cigarette lighter in the direction of an assistant referee at Villa Park has escaped a ban.

Paul Burton, 35, pleaded guilty to throwing a missile onto a football playing area during Villa's 6-0 thumping at home to Liverpool on February 14. The Villa supporter was hit with a £120 fine and ordered to pay £135 costs and a £20 victim surcharge but he escaped a ban after his lawyer pleaded that he was "emotionally drained" by the events of the game. "I'm a football fan, a season ticket holder, and I know how emotionally involved it can be, especially when your team is being hammered," defence lawyer, Ash Mistry told Birmingham Magistrates Court. "That's what was happening on this day - it had been draining, and this incident happened in the 90th minute." Burton was said to be leaving the ground with cigarettes and lighter in hand when, remonstrating at the pitch, his lighter was flung onto the field. "He was emotional and remonstrated," his defence Lawyer argued. "As he was doing this, the lighter came out of his hand. He wasn't throwing it at anyone and it would have had to travel some distance to hit anyone." Before appearing in court, Burton had been banned going near Villa Park for three hours before and after any home fixture. They lost again at home on Tuesday night. Magistrates said they had been considering a banning order, but accepted that this was a one-off event and Burton escaped a ban.