Three men from Northern Ireland have been jailed for their part in an assault outside Ibrox stadium in Glasgow following a Scottish Cup quarter-final between Rangers and Celtic on March 8.

Scott Dragsness, 55, and Ben Stanex, 24, both from Belfast, and Andrew Graham, 21, from Dundonald, attacked a 48-year-old man as he tried to board a Celtic supporters' bus after Celtic won the match 4-2 on penalties.

The trio knocked the victim to the ground and then kicked and stamped on his head and body, leaving him unconscious in the road. Religious abuse was shouted during the attack, which prosecutors said was motivated by religious prejudice. The victim was taken to Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, where scans found a bleed on the brain.

The assault was captured by a police drone monitoring the dispersal of fans and by a motorist's recording from traffic near the bus.

Dragsness, Stanex and Graham pleaded guilty to assault to severe injury and danger of life at Glasgow Sheriff Court on October 7. On Wednesday, Dragsness was sentenced to 18 months in prison, while Stanex and Graham each received 12-month sentences. All three were also given seven-year football banning orders preventing them from entering any football ground in the UK or travelling to support any team.

Sentencing, Sheriff Andrew McIntyre described the attack as a concerted act of serious violence and noted the danger to the victim's life. He said custodial sentences were necessary to protect the public and deter similar offending, and that community sentences would fail to reflect the seriousness of the crime or community disapproval of sectarian football-related violence.

Fraser Gibson, procurator fiscal for Glasgow and Strathkelvin, said football-related violence was a blight on communities and would not be tolerated. He said the victim was subjected to mindless sectarian thuggery by visitors to the city and that anyone involved in such disorder would be held accountable.

Police Scotland Superintendent Derrick Johnston called the attack brutal and said it would affect the victim for the rest of his life. He said everyone had the right to attend sporting events without witnessing such behaviour.