Paul Mitchell has received his sentence following the assault of Villa captain Jack Grealish
Paul Mitchell has been sentenced to 14 weeks in jail after
pleading guilty at Birmingham Magistrates' Court to the assault of Jack Grealish during the second city derby on Sunday.
At a magistrates’ court the maximum jail sentence Mitchell could have received is six months.
Magistrate Alison Fisher passed the sentence on the unemployed Mitchell, whose last job was managing an unnamed pub. Upon re-emerging for sentencing, Mitchell, in handcuffs, blew a kiss to his family and appeared to shrug his shoulders as he was led up to the dock alongside a prison officer to hear his punishment.
Fisher told the defendant it was an "unprovoked assault on a footballer who was simply doing his job" and that it was witnessed by "many families, children and young people". Therefore, she concluded, the verdict should act as both a "punishment and deterrent".
She then sentenced Mitchell to 14 weeks in prison as well as a 10-year banning order from football.
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The 27-year-old, who is from Rubery, near Longbridge in south Birmingham, pleaded guilty to two charges following his arrest; assaulting Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish and illegally entering the field of play.
In a statement, prosecutor Jonathan Purser ”Mitchell claims he was not intoxicated and was with his father and did it as a joke. He did say he was remorseful.”
The court also heard how Mitchell, upon being led away from the St Andrew's pitch by stewards, was asked why he attacked Jack Grealish and responded: "Grealish is a nob."
The defence solicitor Vaughan Whistance told the court that the assault "was totally out of character".
“This is a high profile case, captured on national television," he said. “My client’s young family have had to leave their home and move out of Birmingham in fear of serious harm or death.”
He asked the court to consider a community order rather than a custodial sentence.
Mitchell has been banned for life from Birmingham City Football Club where he had been a season ticket holder for 20 years.
