A Wolverhampton Wanderers supporter has been handed a four-year football banning order for mocking the seven people killed in an A66 crash in August. Bradley Aston, 20, pleaded guilty to a public order offence on Tuesday.
Footage posted on social media showed Aston smiling and holding up a mobile phone towards Middlesbrough fans with the message "Police Killed Your Own" on the screen. He was arrested following Middlesbrough's 1-0 win over Wolves on Saturday.
Magistrates in Wolverhampton gave Aston an eight-week jail term, suspended for a year. Deputy district judge Steven Jonas stated that Aston would have been jailed immediately were it not for recent changes to sentencing rules.
The court heard a statement from Cleveland Police's chief constable, who condemned Aston's "vile" actions for causing distress and anger among her workforce, the wider community, and officers' families. Defence solicitor Askara Rana said Aston was embarrassed and acted without thinking.
Aston, a second-year university student from Walsall, was also banned from going within three miles of Molineux before, during, and after home games, as well as from other grounds and matches at Euro 2028. He was also ordered to carry out community work.