Hibs supporter faces jail sentence for attacking Hearts fan after Edinburgh derby

Richard Fynan launched a savage assault on Jambo Garth Hill after words were exchanged between two groups of opposing fans.

Fynan, 35, crept up on Mr Hill before slamming his fist into the man’s head from behind, leaving him sprawled on the road.

The stunned victim smacked his head off the pavement and also suffered a broken wrist during the unprovoked attack.

Fynan, of Drumbrae, Edinburgh, was then seen running away from the scene of the attack last March at the Capital’s London Road.

The injured Hearts fan was rushed to Edinburgh Royal Infirmary where he was placed in plaster for six weeks and received treatment to a ruptured thumb.

Fyan has now been banned from attending any football matches after he admitted the attack at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Monday.

Prosecutor Lorna Ferrier told the court that thousands of fans were in the London Road area after Hibs won 2-0 against their city rivals at Easter Road on March 9 last year.

Ms Ferrier said: “There was a heavy police presence at the time and at around 9.55pm the complainer and a friend who had been supporting Hearts were walking west towards Waverley Station.

“At London Road the accused approached the complainer from behind and punched him on the side of the face.

“He was struck between his eye and the top of his ear.

“This caused the complainer to fall to the ground and hit his head and break his right wrist.

“The police saw the accused running away and approached him.”

The fiscal said there had been “abuse shouted towards Hearts fans from Hibs fans” prior to the attack but that “the complainer did not shout abuse in return”.

The court heard Mr Hill suffered a broken wrist and was off his work for around one week following the incident.

He also suffered a ruptured thumb during the assault and is now said to be “wary of larger crowds” due to the unprovoked attack.

Solicitor Andrew Docherty, defending, said he would reserve his full mitigation to the sentencing diet later this month.

Sheriff Robert Weir QC told Fynan he was banned from attending regulated football matches for the meantime and deferred full sentence to February 22.

Fynan admitted assaulting Garth Hill by striking him to the head causing him to fall to the ground to his severe injury at London Road, Edinburgh, on March 9 last year.

Not guilty pleas to assaulting second Hearts fan William Conquer were accepted by the Crown.

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