Man who ran onto football pitch during Burnley v Middlesbrough match banned after saying 'you only live once'
A man who ran onto the football pitch during Burnley's match against Middlesbrough has received a ban after claiming "you only live once."
Carlton Hargreaves, 27, from Longworth Road, Billington, made his way onto the pitch from the North Stand in the 88th minute of the match at Turf Moor on December 6.
He ran around the pitch before being detained by club staff.
While being escorted to a police van, Hargreaves admitted he had some second thoughts about his actions but stated: "You only live once."
Hargreaves was charged under Section 4 of the Football Offences Act 1991 for entering the playing area.
He pleaded guilty when he appeared before Blackburn Magistrates’ Court.
The court imposed a three-year football banning order on Hargreaves, along with fines totalling £112.
PC Byron Worrall, of Burnley Police, said: “This behaviour is completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated by Lancashire Police or Burnley Football Club.
“Hargreaves’ behaviour not only disrupted the game, it also put player safety at unnecessary risk.
“Hargreaves might say that you only live once, but he’ll now have to find another way to fill his afternoons for the next three years.”
This follows a suggestion by a government minister that criminals could be banned from pubs, sports venues, and social events as part of plans to ease prison overcrowding.
Courts Minister Sarah Sackman indicated that such bans, along with mandatory community work for offenders, were "very much part of the mix" in an ongoing government review of prison sentences.
The review, chaired by former Justice Secretary and Tory MP David Gauke, was launched in October to explore alternatives to prison sentences and address the growing overcrowding crisis.