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| Olympic 100m final bottle thrower Ashley Gill-Webb sentenced | Olympic 100m final bottle thrower Ashley Gill-Webb sentenced |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A man who threw a plastic beer bottle on to the track at the start of the men's 100m final at the London Olympics has been given a community order. | A man who threw a plastic beer bottle on to the track at the start of the men's 100m final at the London Olympics has been given a community order. |
| Ashley Gill-Webb, 34 of South Milford, North Yorkshire, who has bipolar disorder, was given an eight-week sentence at Thames Magistrates' Court. | Ashley Gill-Webb, 34 of South Milford, North Yorkshire, who has bipolar disorder, was given an eight-week sentence at Thames Magistrates' Court. |
| Gill-Webb, who also shouted at athletes including Usain Bolt, was earlier found guilty of two public order offences. | Gill-Webb, who also shouted at athletes including Usain Bolt, was earlier found guilty of two public order offences. |
| District Judge William Ashworth said he had tarnished the spirit of the Games. | District Judge William Ashworth said he had tarnished the spirit of the Games. |
| 'Manic episode' | 'Manic episode' |
| "Your intention was to target the highest-profile event at the London Olympics and put off Usain Bolt," he said. | "Your intention was to target the highest-profile event at the London Olympics and put off Usain Bolt," he said. |
| "The potential harm of triggering a false start was significant. By good fortune, you failed. | "The potential harm of triggering a false start was significant. By good fortune, you failed. |
| "You did, however, spoil the occasion for some spectators and tarnish the spirit of the Games." | "You did, however, spoil the occasion for some spectators and tarnish the spirit of the Games." |
| Bolt, the world record-holder and defending champion, won the race in 9.63 seconds, ahead of Jamaican team-mate and 2011 world champion Yohan Blake. | Bolt, the world record-holder and defending champion, won the race in 9.63 seconds, ahead of Jamaican team-mate and 2011 world champion Yohan Blake. |
| The US's Justin Gatlin won bronze. | The US's Justin Gatlin won bronze. |
| The court heard that Gill-Webb pushed his way to the front of an exclusive seating area at the stadium and started shouting: "Usain, I want you to lose." | The court heard that Gill-Webb pushed his way to the front of an exclusive seating area at the stadium and started shouting: "Usain, I want you to lose." |
| Witness Farzin Mirshahi heard Gill-Webb yell: "Believe in Blake, no Usain." | |
| Gill-Webb threw the bottle just before the race started. | Gill-Webb threw the bottle just before the race started. |
| Edith Bosch, Dutch judo champion and London 2012 70kg bronze medallist, who confronted Gill-Webb about the bottle throwing, said the incident made her miss the race. | Edith Bosch, Dutch judo champion and London 2012 70kg bronze medallist, who confronted Gill-Webb about the bottle throwing, said the incident made her miss the race. |
| Gill-Webb was escorted from the stadium and arrested. | Gill-Webb was escorted from the stadium and arrested. |
| The court heard he used an old ticket to get into the Olympic Park, and then the stadium on 5 August. | The court heard he used an old ticket to get into the Olympic Park, and then the stadium on 5 August. |
| Gill-Webb, who did not give evidence during his trial, originally denied throwing the bottle, but his DNA was found on it. | Gill-Webb, who did not give evidence during his trial, originally denied throwing the bottle, but his DNA was found on it. |
| He later said he could not remember the incident. | He later said he could not remember the incident. |
| His lawyers had said he was suffering from a "manic episode" at the time. | His lawyers had said he was suffering from a "manic episode" at the time. |
| The judge said Gill-Webb's behaviour was "serious" enough to demand punishment, but that he thought he was unlikely to offend again. | |
| Prosecutor Helen Shaw said the high-profile nature of the incident and the fact that the world was watching were aggravating factors, along with the location from which the bottle was hurled. | |
| It was a "once-in-a-four-year event watched by millions of people around the world", she said. | |
| "Some of the people who were in that area missed the event and had paid up to £4,000 a ticket," she added. | |
| Tom Barley, defending, said Gill-Webb risked inflicting "massive embarrassment on the country" by his behaviour. | |
| The court heard he had lost his job because of the negative publicity triggered by the case. | |
| Noting that alcohol did not have any influence, Mr Barley suggested that for someone dealing with a mental illness on a day-to-day basis, "it must have been the worst day for it to happen, in the 100m final" | |
| Gill-Webb will be electronically-monitored and be subject to a 07:00 to 19:00 curfew. He was also ordered to pay a £1,500 contribution to costs. | Gill-Webb will be electronically-monitored and be subject to a 07:00 to 19:00 curfew. He was also ordered to pay a £1,500 contribution to costs. |
| Bolt and Blake said they had been unaware of the incident. | Bolt and Blake said they had been unaware of the incident. |