A DISGRACED Worcester man who wore a T-shirt with an offensive message mocking the victims of the Hillsborough disaster said he was "ashamed" of himself when he appeared trembling in court today.

Paul Grange of Columbia Drive, Lower Wick, Worcester, admitted a section five public order offence for wearing the T-shirt which mocked the victims of the 1989 disaster which claimed 96 lives, comparing the tragedy to pest control.

The black T-shirt stated the tragedy was "God's way" of aiding a pest control company.

His actions were deemed to be a section five public order offence relating to the display of writing, sign or other visible representation which is threatening, abusive or insulting, within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress, under the Public Order Act 1986.

The 50-year-old who represented himself at court appeared before magistrates in Worcester with his head bowed and visibly trembling.

A Liverpool fan, Julie Haines from Worcestershire who is originally from Birkenhead arrived at court in the Liverpool away strip, saying she wanted to represent club fans at the hearing.

Unshaven and wearing a plain brown sleeveless shirt with no tie and jeans, Grange spent much of the short hearing at Worcester Magistrates Court with his head bowed.

Sometimes his head and hands twitched as if from the nervous tension and he gripped his wrist tightly as he was asked to stand before the bench of three magistrates, chaired by Sue Dowty.

Karen Cockitt, prosecuting, said that Grange wore a T-shirt which said the Hillsborough disaster was God’s way of helping a pest control company after he had it custom-made by a T-shirt company.

He had visited the Brewers Arms in Worcester on May 29 to meet friends at 2pm.

Miss Cockitt said: “Whilst the defendant was in that pub people did read the T-shirt and did take offence to it and challenged the defendant over that wording.

“Recognising that, members of staff of that pub evicted the defendant from that pub and banned him from there.

"It further progressed onto to social media so other people became aware of it and they saw the photograph (of Grange wearing the T-shirt) and the police then received various contact from members of the public.”

The defendant was arrested and interviewed on May 31.

In police interview Grange he accepted that he knew the T-shirt was likely to cause offence and wore a jacket over it until he got to the pub.

Miss Cockitt said: "He said it was supposed to be banter between him and his friends who are Liverpool supporters. It was meant to be something just shared between the group.

"He said people at the pub were upset. He was in the beer garden and people were showing and demonstrating anger towards him."

Police not only seized the T-shirt Grange had been wearing but a second T-shirt with a 'similar offensive comment' on it.

A victim impact statement was also read out from one of the family members of the Hillsborough victims, Louise Brookes, which said her ‘anxiety increased’ due to the comments placed on the T-shirt.

Bromsgrove man Andrew Brookes, aged 26 at the time, was one of 96 fans who died at the stadium in 1989 during Liverpool's FA Cup semi-final match against Nottingham Forest.

“It has impacted on her as one of her relatives was a victim of the Hillsborough disaster. Her anxiety increased due to the hurtful comments placed upon that T-shirt. She suffered sleepless nights of upset. It brought on her panic attacks" Miss Cockitt said.

In her statement she said she also felt the offender would not be dealt with seriously enough where Hillsborough was concerned and said for 27 years the families had listened to 'hatred' towards their families "I feel enough is enough" Mrs Brookes said in her victim impact statement.

Grange representing himself said: “I'm ashamed of what I have done. Hearing that statement (from the family member) it hits home about the personal effect of it. It was supposed to be between friends.

"Until it went public I didn’t realise the consequences of how bad it had affected people. Because of my own actions I have lost my home, my job, my friends and my relationship. It’s deserved. I deserved it. It has affected everything.”

Sue Dowty, chairman of the bench, said: "You realised before entering the pub that the T-shirt you were wearing could cause offence. It did."

Mrs Dowty said the offence carried the maximum penalty of a fine and said, while the bench would give Grange credit for his early guilty plea and the remorse he had shown, they had to balance this against the distress and upset caused.

Magistrates fined him £600, ordered him to pay £60 victim surcharge and £135 costs. Grange said he could pay the money out of his £7,000 savings and told the court he would pay 'immediately'. They also ordered the forfeiture and destruction of both T-shirts.

His last conviction was in 2011 and was described as 'a serious conviction resulting in a lengthy custodial sentence'.

Grange left the court flanked by a male and female police officer.

He faced a scrum of television cameras and reporters as he left court.

Grange ran across the road at Castle Street and headed off along Farrier Street while asked questions by reporters, repeating his apology.