A woman recounted a harrowing experience in court, revealing she thought she "could have died" when a football fan fell onto her during a match. Joanne Peters, who suffers from scoliosis, sustained injuries when John Ryan, 62, landed on her at Ipswich Town's Portman Road ground in January 2024.

During the proceedings at Ipswich Crown Court, Peters described her initial reaction, believing that the box behind her had collapsed. She expressed how terrified she felt by the sudden impact, stating, "It was terrifying... just a really, really scary situation."

Ryan, who hails from Rochester Street, Chatham, Kent, faces charges of one count of assault by beating and one count of actual bodily harm, both of which he denies. The jury has since retired to deliberate on the case.

The incident occurred as Ryan was among the throngs of Maidstone United supporters celebrating a goal during their 2-1 victory in the FA Cup. The court heard that while celebrating in the Cobbold Stand's upper tier, Ryan fell, slid down a sloping roof, and landed on the Ipswich supporters below.

Peters recalled, "He landed on my shoulder. The pressure of that fall — he could have broken my neck." This incident has raised significant concerns about fan safety in crowded stadiums.