Image source: skysports.com
Aberdeen supporter David Gowans has been sentenced to 18 months in prison after throwing part of a seat that struck Aberdeen defender Jack MacKenzie following a Scottish Premiership match at Tannadice in May. The 32-year-old also received a 10-year football banning order and has already been given a lifetime ban by Aberdeen Football Club.
Aberdeen Fan David Gowans Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Injuring Jack MacKenzie
Gowans threw the projectile onto the pitch following Aberdeen’s league match against Dundee United at Tannadice on May 17. The seat struck MacKenzie, who had approached the area in front of the travelling Aberdeen fans to thank them for their support. The defender, who currently plays for Plymouth Argyle, suffered a deep laceration to his left eyebrow and an abrasion below his left eye, leaving him permanently disfigured from the incident.
Sheriff Alastair Carmichael told Gowans at Dundee Sheriff Court on Monday that his actions were “selfish, stupid, dangerous and utterly irresponsible.” The judge emphasized that Gowans must have known throwing the item could hit somebody, describing the level of recklessness as “staggering” if he had not considered this possibility. The sheriff noted there was a “bigger picture” to the incident, as it occurred at a football match and could have triggered further disorder in the crowd.
CCTV footage shown to the court revealed MacKenzie lying on the pitch for several minutes after being struck while receiving medical attention. The Aberdeen player was subsequently taken off the pitch in a wheelchair. The footage also showed a large number of Dundee United fans on the pitch celebrating their team’s victory at the time of the incident.
Gowans, a father-of-one who worked as an offshore operator and was a member of the Aberdeen ultras supporters’ group, admitted culpable and reckless conduct in October. His lawyer Larry Flynn told the court that Gowans had been inebriated at the time and was so drunk he missed the supporters’ bus home to Aberdeen, requiring a taxi instead. Flynn added that Gowans was “extremely embarrassed” by the incident and accepts he “let himself down and let his football club down.”
Text messages Gowans sent to Aberdeen FC supporters liaison officer Lynne Fisk were presented to the court, in which he admitted throwing the seat. In one message, he stated he “wasn’t aiming at anything or anyone” and that the section of seat had been “there right next to me.” In another message, he described the incident as “a disastrous mistake.” Procurator fiscal Helen Nisbet called it “disgraceful conduct which could have resulted in far greater consequences” and emphasized that such behavior jeopardizes the safety of other supporters.
