Man jailed for headbutting Sheffield United footballer during pitch invasion

A man has been jailed for headbutting Sheffield United captain Billy Sharp during a pitch invasion after a match on Tuesday night.

Robert Biggs, 30, of Ilkeston in Derbyshire, was jailed for 24 weeks after he admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm and going on to the playing area at a football match.

He appeared at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.

Sharp, 36, was knocked to the ground after Nottingham Forest beat Sheffield on penalties at the end of the Championship play-off semi-final.

He was left “bleeding, angry, shook up” and needing stitches after the attack, Sheffield boss Paul Heckingbottom said.

While passing sentence on Biggs, District Judge Grace Leong told the £55,000-a-year electrical engineer: “The video-clip proves to me that you were running towards Billy Sharp and that you dodged all the other spectators to get towards him.

“I am of the view that it was a targeted act of aggression… even if it was not premeditated.

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“The forceful impact resulted in a very unpleasant injury to Mr Sharp.

“You must have seen him fall over but you did not stop to check if he was alright or whether he was seriously injured.

“This is so serious that a custodial sentence must be imposed.”

During the hearing, Biggs was told that a separate charge of illegally entering the playing surface had been dropped.

The season-ticket holder also did not oppose an application for a banning order from football matches.

Forest already said whoever attacked Mr Sharp would be banned for life.

Judge Leong had been urged to pass a suspended sentence on Biggs, who claimed he and his girlfriend would not be able to keep up monthly mortgage repayments of over £1,000 if he was jailed.

But the judge told Biggs: “Given the gravity of this offence, where thousands were present to witness it, there has to be an element of deterrence.

“You headbutted Mr Sharp, who was looking elsewhere at the time and could not have taken any avoiding action.

“His lip had to be stitched afterwards and that is not a minor injury.”

Biggs was ordered to pay Sharp £500 in compensation, as well as £85 in costs and a £128 victim surcharge.

‘One mindless idiot ruined an unbelievable night’

The incident took place after supporters poured onto the field after Forest won 5-4 in a penalty shootout.

The teams drew 3-3 on aggregate after two legs.

Mr Sharp, a former Forest player, wrote on Twitter yesterday that “one mindless idiot ruined what was an unbelievable night of football”.

He said: “As an ex-Forest player I will not let one scumbag ruin my respect for the Forest fans.”

Forest will play Huddersfield in the playoff final on 29 May, with the winner earning promotion to the English Premier League.

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