Stefan Paoli leaving Melbourne Magistrates Court. Picture: Jon Hargest Source: HeraldSun
A MELBOURNE Victory fan who dragged a police officer to the ground during a wild brawl at Etihad Stadium has been banned from all soccer matches in Australia for seven years.
Stefan Paoli, 23, was also placed on a 12-month behaviour bond and ordered to pay $1500 to charity after yesterday pleading guilty to recklessly causing injury.
Melbourne Magistrates' Court heard the charge related to a clash between police and fans about 9.20pm at a February 16 A-League match between Victory and Western Sydney Wanderers at AAMI Park.
The court heard that during a crowd crush Paoli grabbed a senior constable by the back of his equipment belt and pulled him to the ground. Capsicum spray was used to subdue the crowd and the officer suffered back and shoulder pain as a result of the melee.
Paoli, 22 at the time, was captured on CCTV and through covert surveillance at the ground and later charged by police.
He told police he had drunk about six or seven pots of beer before the game but was not drunk and only acted when he heard a friend call for his help.
Magistrate Jack Vandersteen said police were confronted with a scene on the night that was "obviously volatile and violent", and the officer had been unable to defend himself. "I don't know why this type of rage is shown publicly," he said.
Paoli, a keen soccer fan who attended the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, sat quietly in court with his mum, brother and a friend, as a letter he wrote apologising to the officer was read.
He admitted he had put the officer in danger, said he was "deeply sorry" and had brought shame to himself and his family.
Football Federation Australia, the sport's governing body, imposed the seven- year ban in the wake of the incident, prohibiting Paoli from affiliated matches nationwide until 2020.
Mr Vandersteen said the court had a "zero tolerance" policy towards violence in sporting crowds, but he took the severity of the soccer ban into account in sentencing.
Such behaviour "damages immensely the reputation of the sport", he added.
peter.rolfe@news.com.au
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