A FOOTBALL hooligan who hurled abuse at a police officer on horseback has appeared in court.
Paul Dobrowski, 31, admitted disorderly behaviour at the John Smith’s Stadium on October 20.
He had attended an afternoon match between Town and Wolves.
Dobrowski, of Henfield Close, Wolverhampton, was leaving the grounds at 5pm when a scuffle broke out between both sets of fans.
Vanessa Schofield, prosecuting, told Kirklees magistrates that police on horseback patrol helped break this up.
They then told the Wolves fans to get on to the coaches waiting to take them home but some ignored this request.
Some altercations continued and they involved Dobrowski, magistrates were told.
Ms Schofield said that he raised his arms and appeared to be goading the home fans.
She said: “He was shouting towards the Huddersfield fans: ‘Come on then’.
“One of the officers spoke to him and positioned his horse to stop him getting a view of the fans.”
The defendant told the officer, using obscene language, to get his horse away from him.
“He continued in the same language towards the officer and he had to get him by the hood of his jacket to arrest him.”
Magistrates were told that Dobrowski had no convictions prior to the incident.
They were asked to consider issuing him with a football banning order.
Dobrowski, who was not represented in court, denied that he was instructed by police to get on to the coach.
He told magistrates: “I agree to swearing at the officer, using the ‘f’ but not the ‘w’ word.
“I wasn’t goading the Huddersfield fans, I don’t agree with that.
“The horse backed into me and I turned around and reacted by swearing at the officer.
“I’ve never been in trouble before, I was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Magistrates decided not to ban Dobrowski from attending future matches. But they did fine him £135 and order him to pay £85 costs and a £20 victim surcharge.
