File photo of Barry Rogerson arriving at Newcastle Magistrates' Court in northeast England
London:
A British football fan was jailed for 12 months on Thursday for drunkenly punching a police horse in the head after his team lost to their arch rivals.
Barry Rogerson, 45, lashed out at the the horse named Bud during widespread disorder after Newcastle United lost 3-0 at home to Sunderland in April.
Rogerson was also banned from attending football matches for six years.
"You stood your ground and attacked the horse by punching it in the head," judge Paul Sloan said as he sentenced Rogerson.
"There was a risk of serious injury, the officer could easily have been thrown from the horse and could have sustained serious injury."
Bud -- a 14-year-old shire cross dubbed "Britain's bravest police horse" by tabloid newspapers -- was not injured in the attack.
Barry Rogerson, 45, lashed out at the the horse named Bud during widespread disorder after Newcastle United lost 3-0 at home to Sunderland in April.
Rogerson was also banned from attending football matches for six years.
"You stood your ground and attacked the horse by punching it in the head," judge Paul Sloan said as he sentenced Rogerson.
"There was a risk of serious injury, the officer could easily have been thrown from the horse and could have sustained serious injury."
Bud -- a 14-year-old shire cross dubbed "Britain's bravest police horse" by tabloid newspapers -- was not injured in the attack.
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