Former Scotland and Celtic striker Leigh Griffiths has been fined a total of £17,000 for kicking a smoking flare into a crowd at a football match.
The 33-year-old admitted a charge of culpable and reckless conduct following his behaviour at Dens Park during a match between Dundee and St Johnstone on 22 September 2021.
On Wednesday, Dundee Sheriff Court was told that Griffiths was on loan from Celtic at the time of the incident and was fined £15,000 by the Glasgow club. He was also fined £1,000 by Dundee.
The court has now imposed a further £1,000 fine and has given Griffiths seven days to pay it.
Griffiths had flown in from Australia, where he currently plays for Mandurah City, to attend the sentencing.
The court heard that about 4,500 people were in attendance at the match, with approximately 1,300 St Johnstone fans in the away stand.
Fiscal depute Lora Apostolova said a goal was scored at about 9.10pm and a smoke bomb was hurled onto the field, emitting blue smoke.
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“The accused ran towards the area the smoke bomb landed and then kicked the smoke bomb towards where St Johnstone fans were standing,” she said.
She said Griffiths ran 30 to 40 yards to kick the smoke bomb back into the stand and a fan was struck by it, damaging his jeans. No one was injured.
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Defending Griffiths, lawyer Larry Flynn said the matter required to be discharged in order for the footballer to meet a condition for his Australian visa.
He said Griffiths decided to “take matters in his own hands” and kick the device out of the way to let play continue.
Mr Flynn said there was no malice behind Griffiths’ actions, and he read a statement the player made at the time apologising to fans for his conduct.
In sentencing, Sheriff George Way said a “financial penalty” was necessary and Griffiths would have been facing a £1,500 fine had it not been for his early guilty plea.
The sheriff added: “I am prepared to accept this was reckless. He is trying to make a life for himself in Australia.”
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Griffiths started his football career at Livingston in 2006, before moving to Dundee in 2009 and then Hibernian in 2013.
He was called up for Scotland in 2012 and moved to Celtic in 2014, where he played until 2020.
He was loaned to Dundee in 2021, before playing for Falkirk in 2022.
