A little boy had his first ever Liverpool football match ruined by a drunken lout hurling foul racist abuse at his dad.
Co Antrim man Steven Gallagher, 37, had been muttering racial slurs towards Amir Malik but exploded into a rage when the victim's five-year-old son accidentally knocked his seat with his foot.
Mr Malik said his son and four-year-old daughter were left in "floods of tears" and wanted to go home after the incident at the Liverpool Legends vs Milan Glorie charity match at Anfield on Saturday.
Belfast car crash 'flips vehicle with baby inside on its roof'
Factory worker Gallagher wound up spending two nights in the cells and appeared at Sefton Magistrates' Court, Bootle, Merseyside, this morning where he admitted a charge of racially aggravated threatening or abusive behaviour with intent to cause harassment, alarm or distress.
Gallagher had travelled to watch the game from his home in Portglenone and had sunk around seven or eight pints according to his own estimates.
Angela Conlon, prosecuting, told the court: "The complainant, Amir Malik, was (in the stadium) with his wife and two children; his daughter is aged four and his son is five.
Gary McAllister treated in hospital after attack in Leeds city centre
"Throughout the game the defendant had kept turning around and staring at them, shouting comments about p****.
"The people who had attended with him apologised to Mr Malik and said, 'sorry about that, he's a bit p****d'. However Gallagher turned around and said, 'these f****** p*** b*******'.
"Mr Malik said by now he was feeling angry and horrible but didn't want to make a scene because he was with his wife and children."
Ms Conlon told the court that as half-time approached Mr Malik's little boy began to realise "something was wrong".
She said: "At half-time the young child knocked into one of the seats with his foot. The defendant started to shout and swear. Mr Malik said he threatened to assault me, and my son and daughter were in floods of tears.
"My son started to tell me he wanted to leave at this point and go home."
Mr Malik's wife moved their children away and stewards were alerted, who came to escort the still ranting Gallagher out of the stands before handing him over to Merseyside Police.
A statement from Mr Malik said: "This was my son's first Liverpool game. I have been subject to racist abuse in the past but my children have not.
"I felt it is disgusting that a grown man would act in such a way in complete disregard as to the presence of children and their young age."
Brendan Rodgers compensation fee Leicester paid to Celtic revealed
The court heard Gallagher, who has one previous conviction for burglary, was not fit to be interviewed after his arrest due to his drunken state and later told officers he could not remember the incident.
Helen Dugdale, defending, said her client "could not believe" he had used the vile racist language described, reports the Liverpool Echo .
She said: "The language is not something that is normally in his mind and is not something he uses.
"He has no explanation to offer to the court today...
"It is an offence that is totally out of character, one he bitterly regrets and one he has shown remorse for."
Ms Dugdale said Liverpool FC will very likely ban Gallagher from attending any matches.
District Judge Richard Clancy said he was not legally able to impose a football banning order because the game was a charity match - but he hit Gallagher with a 12 month exclusion order banning him from coming within a mile of Anfield Football Stadium.
Judge Clancy said: "Mr Gallagher this was a disgraceful incident and one for which you are very lucky not to be going to prison today.
"I have taken into account the fact you are working and everything that has been said on your behalf."
He sentenced Gallagher to six weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months, and fined him £250.
Gallagher was also ordered to pay a £150 victim surcharge and £85 prosecution costs.
The Reds won the match, which raised £1million for the Liverpool FC Foundation, 3-2.
Keep up-to-date with all the very latest news, what's on, sport and everything else in Belfast and beyond with the Belfast Live app.
Only select news that interests you by picking the topics you want to display on the app's homepage. Plus, our enhanced user experience includes live blogs, video, interactive maps and slick picture galleries. Download it now and get involved.
Click here to get it from the App Store or here for Google Play .
