Maidstone supporter cleared of assault charges after Portman Road fall

A Maidstone United supporter who fell from an upper tier at Ipswich Town's Portman Road ground has been cleared of two assault charges. BBC News reported that a jury at Ipswich Crown Court found John Ryan not guilty of assault by beating and actual bodily harm following the incident during an FA Cup match in January 2024.

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Ryan, 62, from Chatham in Kent, landed on home supporters Joanne Peters and her partner Aaron Rose. He had denied both charges and told the court that he could not stop himself during celebrations. The jury heard that he fell from the Cobbold Stand's upper tier and slid down the sloping roof above the supporters' boxes.

Ryan told jurors he did not know whether he had been pushed or had lost his footing. According to the BBC's verdict report, he cried in the dock as the jury acquitted him on both counts. Afterwards, he described the experience as stressful.

In its earlier account of the trial, BBC News reported that Peters had given an emotional description of the impact. She said she initially believed the box behind her had collapsed and feared she could have died. Peters, who has scoliosis, told the court that Ryan landed on her shoulder. Her account described the fear she experienced when he fell onto the spectators below.

The incident occurred during Maidstone's 2-1 win over Ipswich, a result that took the non-league club into the FA Cup's fifth round. BBC Sport's contemporary match report recorded goals from Lamar Reynolds and Sam Corne, either side of an equaliser by Ipswich's Jeremy Sarmiento. Maidstone converted their two shots while Ipswich registered 38 attempts, according to Ipswich manager Kieran McKenna's post-match comments to BBC Radio Suffolk.

That victory made Maidstone the first team from outside English football's top five tiers to reach the fifth round since Blyth Spartans in 1978. The BBC's match account described goalkeeper Lucas making repeated saves as the visitors protected their lead. Maidstone manager George Elokobi credited his players' resilience and their ability to attack the space behind Ipswich's defence.