Post by Macmoish on Feb 5, 2011 22:20:01 GMT
* This Is Local London »
Saturday 5th February 2011
* By Jamie Henderson »
Fourteen football hooligans have been jailed following an alcohol-fuelled brawl in London’s West End.
Southwark Crown Court heard that two groups of fans hurled glasses, chairs and a concrete post at each other as terrified bystanders ran for cover.
Hundreds of people witnessed the clash which took place on a busy Saturday afternoon in Leicester Square on April 3 last year.
The first group, largely from south London, had been watching the midday match between Chelsea and Manchester United in a pub, and headed to Yates’ Wine Bar in the square.
The second group, from Sheffield and all subject to Football Banning Orders, had travelled to London for the QPR versus Sheffield Wednesday game, which kicked off at 3pm.
They began drinking early in the day and by 4pm had arrived at the The Moon Under Water bar, a short distance from Yates’.
Within 15 minutes the missile-throwing chaos had begun as hundreds of frightened people ran for cover.
Judge Taylor, sitting at Southwark Crown Court on Friday, described the incident as a “serious and unpleasant eruption of violence”.
She said: “This eruption took place in a busy wine bar in a tourist area of London, full of frightened families and young children.
“Bottles and a number of missiles were thrown, including glasses and heavy weights, followed by punching and kicking.”
Lee Merrett, 24, from Sutton, Brian Johnson, 24, from Epsom, and Ben and Jack Quinton, aged 22 and 25, both from Worcester Park, each received seven-month sentences for their role in the fight.
Frankie Sims, from Sutton, Matthew Ayley, from Carshalton, and Andrew Cocks, from South Croydon, all 24, will serve three, five and six months respectively.
Jamie Gough, 25, from Horley in Sussex, will also be imprisoned for seven months.
Only one defendant, Josh Mackley, 24, from Carshalton, escaped jail but he was handed a four-month sentence, suspended for 12 months, and must complete 240 hours of unpaid work.
The judge said the Sheffield group had started the missile-throwing but the London group had escalated the situation.
During the melee, Jack Quinton twice launched a concrete post at the rival group and Andrew Cocks pelted them with bottles and glasses.
The two groups then converged for several minutes, throwing punches and kicks, before they all scattered as police arrived.
All of the London group were arrested nearby but the Sheffield men were identified on CCTV by a specialist police anti-hooliganism unit months afterwards.
Judge Taylor said: “The first wave of missiles came from the Sheffield group but the London made no attempt to move away.
“That no one was seriously hurt was down to chance rather than design.
“This offence undoubtedly passes the custody threshold.”
The five other men, who formed the Sheffield group, were also jailed at Friday’s sentencing.
Jonathan Fisher, 25, Kevin Morris, 47, and Mathew Schofield, 22, were locked up for eight months each.
Martin Broadley, 22, was handed a three-month term while Adam Marshall, 19, must spend eight months in a young offender’s institute.
Sims, Mackley and Broadley pleaded guilty to affray, the other eleven defendants admitted violent disorder.
www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/8835515.Hooligans_jailed_after_fans_battle_in_West_End/
Saturday 5th February 2011
* By Jamie Henderson »
Fourteen football hooligans have been jailed following an alcohol-fuelled brawl in London’s West End.
Southwark Crown Court heard that two groups of fans hurled glasses, chairs and a concrete post at each other as terrified bystanders ran for cover.
Hundreds of people witnessed the clash which took place on a busy Saturday afternoon in Leicester Square on April 3 last year.
The first group, largely from south London, had been watching the midday match between Chelsea and Manchester United in a pub, and headed to Yates’ Wine Bar in the square.
The second group, from Sheffield and all subject to Football Banning Orders, had travelled to London for the QPR versus Sheffield Wednesday game, which kicked off at 3pm.
They began drinking early in the day and by 4pm had arrived at the The Moon Under Water bar, a short distance from Yates’.
Within 15 minutes the missile-throwing chaos had begun as hundreds of frightened people ran for cover.
Judge Taylor, sitting at Southwark Crown Court on Friday, described the incident as a “serious and unpleasant eruption of violence”.
She said: “This eruption took place in a busy wine bar in a tourist area of London, full of frightened families and young children.
“Bottles and a number of missiles were thrown, including glasses and heavy weights, followed by punching and kicking.”
Lee Merrett, 24, from Sutton, Brian Johnson, 24, from Epsom, and Ben and Jack Quinton, aged 22 and 25, both from Worcester Park, each received seven-month sentences for their role in the fight.
Frankie Sims, from Sutton, Matthew Ayley, from Carshalton, and Andrew Cocks, from South Croydon, all 24, will serve three, five and six months respectively.
Jamie Gough, 25, from Horley in Sussex, will also be imprisoned for seven months.
Only one defendant, Josh Mackley, 24, from Carshalton, escaped jail but he was handed a four-month sentence, suspended for 12 months, and must complete 240 hours of unpaid work.
The judge said the Sheffield group had started the missile-throwing but the London group had escalated the situation.
During the melee, Jack Quinton twice launched a concrete post at the rival group and Andrew Cocks pelted them with bottles and glasses.
The two groups then converged for several minutes, throwing punches and kicks, before they all scattered as police arrived.
All of the London group were arrested nearby but the Sheffield men were identified on CCTV by a specialist police anti-hooliganism unit months afterwards.
Judge Taylor said: “The first wave of missiles came from the Sheffield group but the London made no attempt to move away.
“That no one was seriously hurt was down to chance rather than design.
“This offence undoubtedly passes the custody threshold.”
The five other men, who formed the Sheffield group, were also jailed at Friday’s sentencing.
Jonathan Fisher, 25, Kevin Morris, 47, and Mathew Schofield, 22, were locked up for eight months each.
Martin Broadley, 22, was handed a three-month term while Adam Marshall, 19, must spend eight months in a young offender’s institute.
Sims, Mackley and Broadley pleaded guilty to affray, the other eleven defendants admitted violent disorder.
www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/8835515.Hooligans_jailed_after_fans_battle_in_West_End/
