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Paul Grange: Offensive Hillsborough T-shirt was 'banter' | |
(35 minutes later) | |
A man who wore an offensive T-shirt relating to the Hillsborough disaster said it was 'banter' with Liverpool-supporting friends. | |
Paul Grange, 50, of Worcester, admitted a public order offence and was fined £600 by city magistrates earlier. | |
He said he had deservedly "lost everything" after wearing the T-shirt in a pub beer garden on 29 May. | |
The wording on the shirt suggested the disaster was "God's way" of helping a pest control company. | |
Magistrates heard Grange ordered the T-shirt from a printing firm. | |
When he wore it at the Brewers Arms pub in the St Johns area of Worcester, he was asked to leave by the landlord and arrested the following day. | |
More on this and other Worcester stories | More on this and other Worcester stories |
A statement by Louise Brookes, who lost her brother Andrew at the Hillsborough disaster, said it caused her hurt, anxiety and sleepless nights. | |
"For 27 years, I have had to listen to and read of such hatred directed towards my family," she added. | |
Representing himself in court, Grange responded: "Hearing that statement, it's hit home, the personal effect of it. | |
"It (the T-shirt) was only supposed to be between friends." | |
Remorse | |
He expressed remorse adding: "Because of my own actions, I have lost my home, my job, my friends, my family and relationship. | |
"And it's deserved - I don't think it's any less than I deserve." | |
Grange pleaded guilty to "displaying threatening/abusive writing/sign/visible representation likely to cause harassment/alarm/distress". | Grange pleaded guilty to "displaying threatening/abusive writing/sign/visible representation likely to cause harassment/alarm/distress". |
In addition to a £600 fine, the 50-year-old, of Columbia Drive, Worcester, was ordered to pay a £60 victim surcharge and £135 in costs. | |