Stag-party man ran onto York Racecourse as horses thundered towards him
A stag-party man ran onto the track at York Racecourse as racehorses thundered towards him, forcing security staff into emergency action.
Blake Ions’ moment of madness occurred on a busy race day on 11 July when he ran across the track “while horses were oncoming towards him”, York magistrates heard.
The act was witnessed by thousands of horrified racegoers at the John Smith’s Meeting featuring seven races including the John Smith’s Nursery Handicap, City Walls Stakes and the £200,000 John Smith’s Cup.
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Security staff sprung into action, whisked Ions to safety and restrained him, said prosecutor Alison Whiteley.
She told the court: “Ions ran across the track while horses were oncoming towards him. Security staff restrained him and officers noticed he was slurring his words and sweating heavily.”
She said that Ions, 26, who was on a boozy stag do with friends, had also been urinating in bushes at the Knavesmire course and “generally spoiling people’s enjoyment of the day” with his drunken and disorderly behaviour.
York Crown Court. Photograph: YorkMix
A police officer came over to deal with the matter but was met with a barrage of deeply offensive verbal abuse from Ions who was being extremely aggressive and unruly.
He was handcuffed, arrested and charged with using threatening behaviour and being drunk and disorderly.
Ions, of Appleton Road, Stockton-on-Tees, admitted the offences when he appeared at York Magistrates’ Court yesterday (26 August).
In a victim statement read out by the prosecution, the named officer said that Ions’ verbal abuse “felt malicious and spiteful”.
“I believe he made the remarks deliberately to belittle and upset me,” she added.
Ions’ solicitor Jane Maloney said that her client – who had nine previous offences on his record including two “against the person” – had been drinking with a group of friends who had gone to the racecourse for a stag do.
Crowds at the races. Photograph:York Racecourse
“He accepts he had too much to drink,” added Ms Maloney.
“He doesn’t remember making any comments to the police officer.”
She said that Ions, who is on benefits, was still under the auspices of the Probation Service after being released from prison for previous offences.
After telling his probation officer about his drunken shenanigans at the racecourse, Ions was given an electronic tag to wear to monitor his alcohol consumption and his whereabouts, prior to today’s sentence.
Magistrates fined Ions £320 for his disorderly behaviour and ordered him to pay the police officer £250 compensation for the injurious comments.
There was no community punishment because Ions was already being monitored for his alcohol consumption and would be wearing a tracker tag for the next six months.
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