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| Fan fined for ripping up Koran pages at football match | Fan fined for ripping up Koran pages at football match |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A football fan who ripped up pages of the Koran during a match has been fined for "religiously aggravated" disorder. | |
| Middlesbrough supporter Mark Stephenson, 25, admitted a charge of threatening behaviour. | Middlesbrough supporter Mark Stephenson, 25, admitted a charge of threatening behaviour. |
| Birmingham Magistrates' Court heard Stephenson, a purchasing manager from Shrewsbury, had been drinking ahead of his team's match at Birmingham City. | |
| He was fined £235 but spared a football banning order. | |
| 'Extremely unsavoury' | 'Extremely unsavoury' |
| Magistrates also ordered Stephenson to pay £105 costs and a £23 victim surcharge. | Magistrates also ordered Stephenson to pay £105 costs and a £23 victim surcharge. |
| The court heard he was part of a group of 20 visiting supporters at the 7 December game at Birmingham's St Andrews ground. | The court heard he was part of a group of 20 visiting supporters at the 7 December game at Birmingham's St Andrews ground. |
| Prosecutor Jonathan Purser said he was seen pretending to set fire to pages of the Koran with a lighter after a female supporter handed them to him. | Prosecutor Jonathan Purser said he was seen pretending to set fire to pages of the Koran with a lighter after a female supporter handed them to him. |
| Mr Purser added other fans were shouting and chanting at the time of the offence, and the words "Koran, Muslims and burning" were overheard by a steward. | Mr Purser added other fans were shouting and chanting at the time of the offence, and the words "Koran, Muslims and burning" were overheard by a steward. |
| Sentencing, chairman of the bench Ronald Healy told Stephenson his behaviour had been "extremely unsavoury and extremely regrettable". | Sentencing, chairman of the bench Ronald Healy told Stephenson his behaviour had been "extremely unsavoury and extremely regrettable". |
| "Incidents of this kind are considered extremely offensive to some members of the community," he said. | "Incidents of this kind are considered extremely offensive to some members of the community," he said. |
| Two women from Middlesbrough charged in connection with events at the match both pleaded not guilty to a religiously aggravated public order offence. | |
| They were bailed to stand trial at Birmingham Magistrates' Court on 1 May. |