- Manchester City fan Leon Blackett jumped on a police car in June 2023
- He had been celebrating Man City’s win in the UEFA Champions League final
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A Manchester City fan who caused more than £10,000 worth of damage to a police car while celebrating the club’s historic Champions League triumph has been jailed.
Leon Blackett, 22, of Craigmore Avenue, Manchester, was sentenced to 44 months in prison, including a three-month term for the football-related offence. He received an additional 41 months for possession of a bladed article and a domestic-related communications offence.
The incident involving the police vehicle occurred in Manchester in the aftermath of City’s 1-0 win over Inter Milan in Istanbul in June 2023.
That famous victory, which came courtesy of a 68th-minute goal from Rodri, secured City’s first-ever Champions League title and completed a stunning Treble as Pep Guardiola‘s side also won the Premier League and FA Cup in the 2022-23 season.
Following the final whistle, thousands of euphoric City fans flooded the streets of Manchester to celebrate their club’s long-awaited European glory. The city centre became a hive of jubilation, with supporters partying into the early hours.
However, the celebrations took a destructive turn when Blackett, along with others, climbed onto a police vehicle and began jumping on it, causing irreparable damage. The vehicle had to be written off, leading to a police investigation.
Twenty-two-year-old Man City fan Leon Blackett has been sentenced to 44 months in prison
Blackett jumped on a police car while celebrating City’s Champions League triumph in 2023
The police vehicle sustained in excess of £10,000 of damage and it needed to be written off
City’s 1-0 win over Inter Milan in Istanbul completed a famous Treble for Pep Guardiola’s side
Social media and CCTV footage were used to identify those responsible, and Blackett was arrested on October 2023, when he admitted to the offence.
Alongside his prison sentence, he was handed a seven-year Football Banning Order, preventing him from attending matches.
PC Matt Ford from Greater Manchester Police’s Specialist Operations Planning Unit condemned Blackett’s behaviour, stating: ‘The actions by Blackett in the wake of Manchester City’s historic Champions League Final victory were completely unacceptable.
‘Him and the others who were caught on camera either through our body-worn footage, social media videos or CCTV have been robustly dealt with.
‘Fines, Football Banning Orders and hours of unpaid work have been handed to some, with Blackett receiving time in prison for his actions, due to him serving a suspended sentence while committing the crime in the city centre following the result.’
Ford also issued a warning to any fans engaging in criminal behaviour, adding: ‘This is a timely reminder to those who commit crimes while following the football in another country, we will seek prosecutions for unacceptable behaviour.’
Since winning the Champions League in 2023, City have failed to progress beyond the quarter-finals of Europe’s top club tournament.
Their title defence was ended by a penalty-shootout defeat at the hands of Real Madrid following a 4-4 draw over two legs in the round of eight last season.
Madrid knocked City out again this season when they prevailed 6-3 on aggregate in the play-off round.
