Charges against Crystal Palace football fan Pavlos Joseph who walked into England dressing room are dropped (From Your Local Guardian)

Charges against Crystal Palace football fan Pavlos Joseph who walked into England dressing room are dropped

10:31am Wednesday 30th June 2010 in

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Charges against the England fan from Crystal Palace who walked into the team's dressing room after the World Cup match against Algeria have been dropped.

Pavlos Joseph, 32, a mortgage adviser with an office on Westow Hill, was today ordered to pay a 750 rand (£65) admission of guilt fine at Cape Town Magistrates' Court.

Mr Joseph, who was accused of being in an area without being in possession of the necessary accreditation, did not attend court on Wednesday, and it is unclear when he will now return to the UK.

Joseph gave an interview to the Sunday Mirror in which he said he was looking for the toilet at Green Point stadium after the match, when a security guard sent him in the direction of the players' tunnel.

He claimed he took a wrong turn and found himself in the changing room, where he berated the players for their poor performance.

He was arrested at the Bay Hotel in Camps Bay on Sunday June 20.

He appeared in court the same day, where he was banned from attending any more World Cup matches, his passport was seized and he was released on 500 rand (£44) bail.

Sunday Mirror journalist Simon Wright, 44, was arrested on Monday night at Cape Town international airport amid allegations Mr Pavlos's behaviour was orchestrated to expose poor World Cup security.

The Sunday Mirror said this was "entirely false" and their reporter had no dealings with Joseph before he entered the England changing room.

Mr Wright was charged with defeating the ends of justice and flouting the Immigration Act.

The charges relate to allegations Mr Wright harboured and interviewed Mr Joseph while he was being hunted by police.

He appeared in court after Mr Pavlos's case was dealt with today, where he was granted 3,000 rand (£260) bail. His passport was confiscated.