A 24-year-old man has been jailed for eight months for assaulting a off-duty police officer during a preliminary final between Fremantle and Hawthorn in September.

Cody Luke Yarran, from Joondanna in Perth, hit the 38-year-old woman in the throat at Subiaco Oval after she asked him to tone down his language.

In the lead-up to the incident Yarran was yelling abuse in front of a number of children.

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The assault was recorded on a mobile phone and footage was posted on social media.

Yarran had pleaded guilty to common assault, two counts of obstructing public officers and disorderly behaviour in public.

The Perth Magistrates Court was told Yarran’s father, who used to attend Fremantle Dockers’ games with him, passed away earlier this year.

Defence lawyer Zoe Gilders told the court Yarran believed the Dockers would win for his father and he became increasingly intoxicated and emotional during the game, as it became clear the team was going to lose.

She said as Yarran walked past the victim’s seat on his way out, he hit the woman with the “sole intention to push her out the way”.

Assault had big impact on victim’s children

Outside court the victim, Jody, said Yarran’s behaviour had frightened spectators.

“He threatened to beat me, I said ‘please you’re really scaring my children’, and he said, ‘well I’ll beat your children as well’,” she said.

She said the assault had a significant impact on her and her children.

“My 13-year-old son feels like he should have done more, which is really sad for him,” she said.

“My eight-year-old stepdaughter feels that she can’t go in public into large crowds, she’s very nervous and anxious.

“It was unfair that everybody else’s experience of the football had to be ruined because of the behaviour of one.

“We don’t want to let this ruin our experience and ruin our family activities.”

The Magistrates Court was told that in 2010 Yarran assaulted a woman who had a permanent disability.

The prosecution argued a jail term would send a message to the community that violence against women would not be tolerated.

– ABC