Brief
62‑year‑old Ipswich fan charged after leaping onto rival supporters
John Ryan denied assault charges after a court heard he fell from a stand at Portman Road during a January 2024 FA Cup tie.
By Felo News Desk · Published
John Ryan, 62, told Ipswich Crown Court he drank five cans of lager before deliberately throwing himself from the upper tier of Portman Road's stand onto rival supporters during an FA Cup match in January 2024.
Prosecutor Simon Gladwell said CCTV and social‑media footage showed Ryan rolling onto the roof of the lower stands and then down onto the crowd, landing on Joanne Peters, who suffered internal bruising and a trapped nerve, while her partner Aaron Ruse reported soreness and stiffness.
Ryan, one of more than 4,000 travelling fans supporting Maidstone United, denied two counts of assault by beating and one count of actual bodily harm. The trial continues.
Key facts
- John Ryan, 62, drank five cans of lager before the incident (dailymail.co.uk)
- The incident occurred at Portman Road during a January 2024 FA Cup match (dailymail.co.uk)
- Ryan was charged with two counts of assault by beating and one count of actual bodily harm (dailymail.co.uk)
- Victims Joanne Peters and Aaron Ruse suffered bruising, nerve injury and soreness (dailymail.co.uk)
Sources
- [1] dailymail.co.uk — originally reported as “Fan, 62, drank five beers and launched himself off upper tier”
