Player was punched after 'donkey' jibe

Wayne Harratt was playing for Hemsworth Miners Welfare when he was spoken to by the referee about a foul on Emley player Mark Stuart during their Northern Counties East League game on October 31 last year.

David Bradshaw, prosecuting, said the tackled player was suggesting Harratt should be sent off and he took exception to that leading to words being exchanged.

Harratt told police later he had already been booked earlier in the game and when he was called "a big nosed donkey" by the player, who also told the referee to send him off, "I called him a bitch," he said, adding, "He said 'Your mam's a bitch'."

At that, he punched Mr Stuart once in the face and kicked him when he went to the ground.

Mr Stuart suffered swelling and tenderness to his right cheek and initially it was feared his cheekbone was fractured but that turned out not to be the case. He also had a swollen and bruised upper lip.

David Tyrer, mitigating, said Harratt was considered a "hard working conscientious family man who has had a hitherto good disciplinary record on the football pitch".

The father-of-two did voluntary work coaching youngsters in football and a considerable amount of charity work. He had already been fined 90 by the league in relation to the incident.

Harratt, 29, of Craven Road, Hemsworth, admitted assaulting Mr Stuart causing him actual bodily harm and was given 12 weeks in prison suspended for 12 months with 180 hours unpaid work.

Ordering him to also pay 500 compensation, the Recorder of Leeds, Judge Peter Collier QC, said such behaviour was "unacceptable whether it happened on the football pitch, the pub or street."