Ref punch man jailed
A SOCCER player who knocked a 60-year-old referee out when he booked him during a Sunday league match is today behind bars.
The Football Association has also banned Ricky Lee Burtoft, aged 23, for life from any football matches after his unprovoked attack.
Doncaster magistrates imposed a 26-week jail term on the demolition worker after convicting him of assault causing actual bodily harm last month - shortly after the FA introduced their new Respect campaign to prevent abuse of referees in the professional and amateur game. Burtoft, of Lavenham Place, Skellow, admitted assaulting referee Christopher James during the match between Burghwallis and ASD Lighting but denied he had knocked him unconscious, accusing the referee of "diving".
Prosecutor David Shepherd said the match was being played at Owston Skellow Road School playing fields and the referee warned Burtoft about swearing but he continued.
As he booked him for unsporting behaviour, Burtoft was still mouthing obscenities at him and struck him in his face, knocking him to the ground and causing him to lose consciousness temporarily. When he came round Mr James was forced to call the match off and seek medical treatment for a painful jaw and headaches.
Burtoft was arrested and told police: "He was going to book me so I punched him.
"He was booking me for nothing."
The court heard the defendant had previous convictions for arson and assault offences.
In an unrelated incident he was arrested while on bail for the football incident and caused more than 200 damage to a police car by smashing a window with the handcuffs on his wrists.
Andrew Blennerhassett, defending, told the court it was "fair to say he has problems with anger management" and had voluntarily sought counselling for the problem.
"He has had a lot of time to reflect on his actions and knows they were wrong.
"He has already been banned for life by the FA and will never be able to play in a match again."
The magistrates told Burtoft that referees gave up their free time to officiate at matches and such public servants deserved protection from his appalling behaviour.
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Friday 10 February 2012
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