Leicester City fan who threw water bottle at Chelsea supporters avoids football banning order

Nathan Sturgess claimed he had been hit in the eye by a coin moments before CCTV captured him throwing the bottle

A Leicester City fan who threw a water bottle at Chelsea fans in retaliation after being hit in the eye by a coin has avoided a football banning order.

CCTV footage captured Nathan Sturgess, 40, flinging the bottle towards the away supporters during Leicester's 2-1 defeat at the King Power Stadium on Saturday, November 23. Appearing before Leicester Magistrates' Court on Monday (December 9), he claimed he "had no intention of harming anyone."

Prosecutor Tracy Lovejoy told the court that Sturgess, of Lansdowne Road, Knighton, Leicester, had 27 offences on his record, including one public order offence. She asked for him to be banned from all football matches for the next three years.

READ MORE: Driver 'shocked' to find he was over the limit after rolling car onto its roof But Sturgess told the court: "They were chucking coins and I got hit. I meant to chuck just the water over them and not the bottle but someone knocked my arm."

When asked to comment on the proposed banning order, he added: "I didn't start it. A bottle of water doesn't compare to a coin hitting me in the eye."

The bench were told they could either make a three-year banning order or no order at all. They decided a banning order for three years would be unjust.

The chair of the bench, Eve Cooper, told Sturgess: "We don't consider it to be proportionate or necessary. If you're in court for another offence, another bench might not be so lenient. There will be no football banning order. But please don't be in court again for a similar offence."

Sturgess, who pleaded guilty to throwing a missle at spectators, was fined £130 and ordered to pay a £52 victim surcharge and £85 court costs.