Eight men have appeared in court charged with violent disorder after trouble erupted outside Villa Park before a Europa Conference League match between Aston Villa and Legia Warsaw on November 30, 2023. The incident left a number of police officers, police dogs, and horses injured.
Defendants Deny Charges
Legia Warsaw supporters Marchin Staniec, Doran Urbaniak, Bartlomiej Szmytke, Grezegosz Grabon, Mariusz Palka, Jaroslaw Gredka, Adrian Mitura, and Karol Talkowski all appeared at Birmingham Crown Court on June 29, 2026. They deny the charges of violent disorder.
A jury of 12 people will be selected for the trial, which is expected to last up to four weeks. The selection process begins on June 30, with 17 potential jurors initially summoned. One woman was dismissed after she informed the court she knew a police officer involved in the case.
Bail Conditions and Trial Logistics
The defendants were told under their bail conditions they are permitted to travel, including back to their home country of Poland, but must attend every day of the trial. His Honour Judge Dean Kershaw addressed the defendants: "If you want to go back at the weekend, if you don't live in the UK, I won't be changing your bail conditions. Take the risk if you want. If they don't come back, I'll just carry on without them. [It] wouldn't help them."
Regarding the charges, Judge Kershaw added: "No one is disputing there was a disorder. It's whether you took part in it." The court heard all eight defendants will require an interpreter throughout the trial.
Jury Selection Process
Judge Kershaw explained that 12 jurors will be selected from a pool of 17 after the dismissed woman. The remaining 17 were given a questionnaire to fill out overnight. "One of the questions asks if anyone has a link to either of the clubs," said Judge Kershaw. "If you were a staunch supporter of a particular club, you might face me asking you some questions about it. For example, do you have an association with the ground itself? Does a family member work there?"
The trial is expected to begin at 12pm on June 30.
