The pensioner was hauled before Liverpool Crown Court after the incident at Goodison Park
Stephen Allinson outside Liverpool Crown Court
Stephen Allinson outside Liverpool Crown Court(Image: Liverpool Echo)
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An Everton fan has been banned from Hill Dickinson Stadium after he was accused of trying to steal a row of seats from Goodison Park as a "memento". Stephen Allinson was charged with attempted theft and criminal damage in relation to an incident on May 3 this year, when the Toffees hosted Ipswich Town in the historic ground's penultimate men's game.
The 65-year-old, of Royal Oak Lane in Pirton, Hertfordshire, appeared before Liverpool Crown Court this afternoon, Wednesday, in order to face these charges. Wearing a black suit over a white shirt and blue tie and sporting short grey hair and glasses in the dock, he spoke only to confirm his name and date of birth and deny both counts during a brief hearing.
Iain Criddle, prosecuting, told the court that the charges related to Allinson allegedly "trying to take seats from Goodison Park at one of the last games of the season as a memento". Judge Neil Flewitt KC remarked that he "presumably didn't want to pay £90 that the club was charging".
Allinson's own counsel Jonathan Duffy meanwhile added that his client and other supporters had "tried to remove an entire row of seats by removing bolts from the framework". Mr Criddle said: "It is a rather daft thing for a 65-year-old man to find himself in a crown court for.
Stephen Allinson outside Liverpool Crown Court
Stephen Allinson outside Liverpool Crown Court
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"There has been an informal resolution, which involved Mr Allinson agreeing to pay some money to Everton's charity. They are happy with that as a resolution, and the prosecution is happy with that as a resolution. The defendant has now been banned from the new stadium until at least the end of the season."
Judge Flewitt quipped that this "may or may not be a punishment" before Mr Criddle added: "The prosecution do not intend to proceed. I submit that there is evidence on which he could have been convicted.
Stephen Allinson outside Liverpool Crown Court
Stephen Allinson outside Liverpool Crown Court
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"The defendant was captured on CCTV. The prosecution would say that this showed him attempting to remove seats and causing damage. Given the payment of the money to Everton in the Community, given the circumstances in which the offence was allegedly committed and the harm caused, the prosecution would take the view that it would not be in the public interest to proceed with this."
Stephen Allinson outside Liverpool Crown Court
Stephen Allinson outside Liverpool Crown Court
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Judge Flewitt, who earlier noted that the "crown court was rather busy with more serious cases", therefore recorded formal not guilty verdicts against Allinson and said: "I am not in any way condoning what he did, but it is inconceivable that this case will ever see the light of day again. I am going to direct that not guilty verdicts be recorded in this case. Mr Allinson, you are free to go."