A Wolverhampton Wanderers supporter who mocked the seven people killed in a crash on the A66 near Middlesbrough in August has been handed a four-year football banning order.

Bradley Aston pleaded guilty to a public order offence on Tuesday after footage was posted on social media of him smiling and holding up a mobile phone towards Middlesbrough fans with the message "Police Killed Your Own" on the screen.

Student Aston, 20, was arrested following Middlesbrough's 1-0 win over Wolves at the Riverside Stadium on Saturday.

He was given an eight-week jail term suspended for a year and told by magistrates in Wolverhampton he would have been jailed were it not for recent changes to sentencing rules.

Two police officers were among the seven people who died when a car travelling the wrong way down a dual carriageway crashed into a force vehicle.

The court heard a statement from Cleveland Police's chief constable which condemned Aston's "vile" actions for causing distress and anger among her workforce, the wider community and to officers' families.

"My officers have faced an unprecedented level of trauma that will stay with them forever."

She said some may not be able to return to work as police officers, adding: "To see such a vile message has created feelings of grief, anger and dismay."

Aston, from the Coalpool area of Walsall, was kept in custody for his own safety after the footage was posted on social media, the court heard.

Sentencing him, deputy district judge Steven Jonas said: "This was unbelievably serious and prior to the passing of the Sentencing Act 2026, there is no doubt in my view that you would be going directly to custody today.

"The words that you used were intended to cause not just maximum offence but, as importantly as that, they were intended to provoke a response.

"And that could have resulted in substantial disorder. Not only have you offended a vast number of people but you deliberately ran the risk of causing a substantial violent reaction."

The court heard Aston was now considering withdrawing from a sport performance analysis course. Accepting that the offence he admitted would have an impact on his proposed career, Jonas told him he would not impose the maximum football banning order of five years.

"You are remorseful and most importantly you are only 20 years old," he said.

Defence solicitor Askara Rana said Aston was embarrassed at his actions and acted without thinking.

"Not only has he let himself down, he has let his family down, as well as the wider community," she said.

The second-year university student was banned from going within three miles of Molineux before, during and after home games, as well as being banned from other grounds and matches at Euro 2028 and ordered to carry out community work.

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