Newcastle fan that punched police horse jailed for 12 months
The Newcastle supporter who was caught punching a police horse in the head after his team's 3-0 loss in the derby match with Sunderland last year has been sentenced to 12 months in prison.
According to the Associated Press, 45-year-old Barry Rogerson began tormenting Bud -- a horse working for the West Yorkshire Police -- by clapping his hands in the face of the animal before taking a swing.
Sentencing Rogerson to 12 months in prison for violent disorder, Judge Paul Sloan QC said: "You attended the football match and by the time it ended you were much the worse for drink. You had taken it in conjunction with prescription medicine knowing you should not have done so."
The judge added: "The crowd surged forward on two occasions and after the first surge you walked amongst the horses clapping your hands in excitement or pleasure at the events. Someone tried to pull you away but you pushed him away.
"A horse started to move towards you and you were told to move back, you had plenty of opportunities to move away. You stood your ground and attacked the horse by punching it in the head. There was a risk of serious injury, the officer could easily have been thrown from the horse and could have sustained serious injury."
Rogerson has also been banned from attending football matches in the UK for six years.