A football fan who was banned from games for three years after being caught up in disorder in Sunderland breached his order by heading to a Toon match.
Declan Welch was captured by facial recognition attending Newcastle V Wolves at St James Park last October, despite being told he must stay away from all games.
A court heard that the 21-year-old went to the match with his girlfriend as she was a Wolverhampton supporter, apparently thinking his ban only applied to Sunderland fixtures.
However, Welch, of Bink Moss, Washington, has now been handed a further three-year ban after he admitting breaching the order at North Tyneside Magistrates' Court.
Prosecutor, Sue Baker, said Welch was given the order for his behaviour during a bar brawl involving Sunderland and Coventry fans in April 2019.
He went into the Wheatsheaf pub in the hours before the match and sang a Sunderland football tune at the rival supporters, prompting a fight to break out, a court at the time heard.
During the incident, Welch admitted throwing punches and was given a three-year football banning order after pleading guilty to a public order offence.
Mrs Baker said: “The first condition of the order was he was not to enter any premises for the purpose of attending any football matches in the UK.
“Despite that being a condition, on October 22, he attended St James Park, in Newcastle, in breach of that order.”
The court heard Welch also breached his order by attending a Wolves home game a few weeks later, when he was arrested and made subject of a community order.
Afterwards, he was questioned by police in Washington about going to St James Park, which he admitted.
Richard Copsey, defending, said Welch had made a mistake by misinterpreting the order and had attended the Newcastle game with his girlfriend, who was a Wolves fan.
He added: “It was unclear in the court which games he was excluded from and Mr Welch left the court under the impression that he was only excluded from Sunderland and England games and was allowed in all others.
“In fact, it was the other way round. He was allowed in England games but not in all the others.”
Mr Copsey said Welch hadn’t caused any trouble at the games and wouldn’t make the mistake again.
Magistrates gave Welch an absolute discharge and a further three-year football banning order.
