Drunk Newcastle fan kicked out of St James' Park after 'incident in stands'

A court heard that the 34-year-old, who was wearing an NUFC bucket hat, was having to be held back by fellow supporters and he was clearly intoxicated. Hetherington was removed from the stands, arrested and bailed.

However, rather than stay out of trouble pending his court date, the crook decided to go on a shoplifting spree in his home town, targeting two shops on six occasions and making-off with more than £850-worth of chocolate and drinks. Newcastle Magistrates' Court was told that Hetherington, of Biverfield Road, in Prudhoe, mainly helped himself to tubs of Celebrations and Roses until he was eventually identified from CCTV and arrested.

Hetherington appeared in the dock this week, where he pleaded guilty to six counts of shop theft and one of being drunk in a sports ground. Claire Armstrong, prosecuting, said Hetherington was at Newcastle's Champion's League game on September 18.

"At around 8.50pm, a police officer was approached by un unknown male to say there was an incident in the stands", Miss Armstrong added. "The officer walked to the stands and saw a male with a Newcastle United bucket hat on being held back by fans.

"He was unsteady on his feet, his eyes were glazed and he had slurred speech. Officers removed him from the stands." The court heard that, eight weeks later, Hetherington began his shoplifting spree.

On two occasions, he targeted the Co-op, in Prudhoe, and stole a total of £559.87-worth of food and drink, Miss Armstrong said. Hetherington then walked into Asda Petrol Station, also in the town, on four occasions and took a total of £297.21-worth of drinks and chocolate, including 26 tubs of Celebrations and Roses.

Adrian Ions, defending, said Hetherington, who has 57 offences on his record, suffered from serious mental health difficulties and had been pressurised by others to commit the thefts. For the shoplifting matters, magistrates decided that they needed a pre-sentence report and adjourned the case until May 19 back at the same court.

In relation to the drunk in the sports ground charge, Hetherington's case was adjourned until next month at North Tyneside Magistrates' Court, where an application for a football banning order maybe made.

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