BIRMINGHAM, England -- A Birmingham City fan who ran on to the pitch and taunted Aston Villa goalkeeper Peter Enckelman at a match in September has been jailed for four months, Birmingham said on its official website on Monday.

Michael Harper, 26, from Solihull, was sentenced at Birmingham Magistrates Court after admitting running on to the pitch at St. Andrew's during Birmingham's 3-0 victory on September 16.

Harper was also banned from attending designated soccer matches for the next six years. Birmingham have already banned him from St. Andrew's for life.

Harper ran on to the pitch to gesture at Enckelman after the goalkeeper's error gifted Birmingham their second goal in the first top flight meeting between the two West Midlands rivals since 1986.

District Judge Richard Clancy said the relative harshness of the sentence was designed to deter other fans from copycat behavior, Reuters reported.

"Other people that saw your conduct are in a situation where a message must go out to them," he said. "This was a very public thing that you did and the players are entitled to protection. Many people were excited on that day but did not choose to go on to the pitch in the way you did."