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Paul Mitchell Has Received A 14-Week Jail Sentence For Attack On Jack Grealish

Paul Mitchell Has Received A 14-Week Jail Sentence For Attack On Jack Grealish

Jack Grealish's attacker has received a prison sentence for his shocking act at the Aston Villa and Birmingham City match on Sunday.

Adnan Riaz

Adnan Riaz

Paul Mitchell has received a jail sentence of 14 weeks for his unprovoked attack on Jack Grealish.

The 27-year-old football fan pleaded guilty at Birmingham Magistrates' Court on Monday.

Mitchell has also been handed down a ten-year banning order from football matches, while Grealish has received £100 compensation.

The incident took place during the Aston Villa and Birmingham City match at the St Andrew's on Sunday, as Mitchell rushed onto the pitch and took a swing at the 23-year-old English attacking midfielder.

Prosecutor Jonathan Purser also read a statement on behalf of the Villa captain to the court.

"I cannot help but feel how lucky I was in this incident," he said (via the London Evening Standard).

"It could have so much worse had the supporter had some sort of weapon."

PA

Mitchell's solicitor, Vaughn Whistance, said during the court proceedings that his client "cannot explain what came over him yesterday morning."

He added: "His initial foolish intention was to just go onto the pitch and whip up the crowd."

Whistance also touched on the situation regarding Mitchell's home, specifically when it came to filing an application for the address not to be revealed.

"There have been various comments posted on different social media platforms," he said.

"My client's young family have had to leave their home address to move to outside of Birmingham through fear that they would suffer serious harm or even death."

PA

Following on from the incident, Birmingham released a statement that said they "deplore the behaviour of the individual who committed this act and rest assured he will be banned from St Andrew's for life."

The Minister for Sport and Civil Society, Conservative Party MP Mims Davies, called the incident at the St Andrew's, as well as the one that took place during the Manchester United and Arsenal match, "a disgrace."

"It is right that they are investigated immediately and strong action is taken by the football authorities and clubs," she said.

"Protecting players' safety is of paramount importance and every possible step must be taken to ensure that they are not put at risk."

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Football News, Aston Villa, Football, Jack Grealish, Birmingham City