Post by Madhatter on Nov 7, 2015 12:03:40 GMT
Eight jailed after violence at Atherstone Town football match
By Tamworth Herald | Posted: November 05, 2015
EIGHT rampaging Atherstone Town supporters who confronted rival fans during half-time in an FA Cup game at the club's Sheepy Road ground have been given custodial sentences totalling more than 14½ years.
All admitted violent disorder which marred Adders' game against Barrow FC two years ago. They received individual sentences of between 19 and 27 months.
During the violent, short-lived incident, some ten, mainly elderly, Barrow supporters were injured and children were separated from their parents.
No Atherstone supporters were injured.
"It is hard to imagine a more terrifying event happening at a match," commented Judge Andrew Lockhart QC, before sentencing the eight at Warwick Crown Court, sitting in Leamington, yesterday. (Wednesday)
"Those who went to this match expected to be safe. They attended with families."
The judge said 21 people were due to appear before him this week for sentencing and added: "I take the view at least 50 Atherstone fans were involved [in the incident]."
Flares were let off during the violent melee, which the judge said he estimated lasted four to five minutes. Atherstone fans who raced across the pitch to confront and attack people who had travelled down from Barrow for the match, took a flag from their stand as a trophy and burned it.
Violence erupted on Saturday October 12 2013 when Atherstone Town played Barrow FC at home in the FA Cup third qualifying round fixture.
"Atherstone were several leagues below Barrow and were not expected to win," added Judge Lockhart, who said there had been an undercurrent of bad feeling.
In the run-up to the game, flares which burn at 100 degrees Fahrenheit were distributed at a public house where a large number of people who attended the match were present.
Flares were thrown onto the pitch and a woman received a burn injury during the violence.
The judge said around 150 people usually attended fixtures at Sheepy Road but 825 were expected at the FA Cup fixture. The two teams' fans were segregated and 16 security personnel and stewards were on duty.
Atherstone were 4-0 down at half-time. When the score reached 3-0 the home side's mood changed and Atherstone supporters were chanting and gesticulating towards the Barrow supporters and used a loud hailer to threaten that they would 'see them' at half-time.
Two groups from the Atherstone stand dashed across the pitch and confronted their visitors, the vast majority of whom were very young, middle-aged or old people. "Certainly it would have been obvious that the vast majority would not have wanted to fight," said Judge Lockhart.
The unruly Atherstone supporters were aggressive and intimidating. Flares were lit as they marched round the rear of a goal area and "one impacted into the arm of a woman who was standing there.
"Barrow fans were terrified. No-one was in any doubt that serious violence was going to be used.
"Those in the Atherstone stand cheered.
"At least one flare was lit and thrown into the Barrow stand. A Barrow fan threw that back out. Atherstone fans took umbrage and went into the Barrow stand."
The judge described the violence as "indiscriminate, immediate and vicious." He said: "It was not a fight between two sets of thugs. Atherstone fans were just attacking anybody regardless of whether they were elderly or not.
"There did not seem to be many Barrow fans who did not get punched."
Judge Lockhart said one man in the Barrow stand described what happened as "total mayhem", adding: "in 60 years of attending matches he had never seen anything like it. He really thought he was going to be assaulted that day."
Atherstone fans that remained in their stand after the first group went towards the visitors chose to join in and formed a second group.
Two of Barrow's substitute players who were warming up on the pitch during half-time were punched.
A 17-year-old girl who had a flag taken from her suffered an asthma attack when she tried to retrieve it. "All over the stand were people who had been attacked. A man in his 70s who could only walk with the aid of a walking stick received a cut on the bridge of his nose," added the judge.
At the start of the sentencing hearing, prosecutor David Lee said the material he had available did not show every single aspect of the case. "It is impossible to say what may or may not have happened off the camera."
However, none of the eight had challenged footage recorded at the game and shown in court.
Mr Lee said there had been no reports of excessive drinking by Barrow fans who attended the match.
When a lighted flair which had been thrown at the Barrow fans was thrown back, this incident triggered a reaction for members of the first group of attackers to charge into the Barrow stand past stewards.
"Punches were thrown and in some cases kicks, including to an elderly person. It was described as chaos or whatever."
The second group of Atherstone fans vaulted over a wall, ran across the pitch and assaulted Barrow 'subs' on the pitch.
When the Atherstone fans went back to their stand, the stolen Barrow flag was set alight, "which clearly caused terror to the people around it," added Mr Lee.
Judge Lockhart said a clear message would be sent out through the courts that football players on the pitch would be protected from assaults.
He imposed football banning orders for a minimum of six years on all defendants to, hopefully, prevent violence at future matches. The eight are banned from attending all matches in England and Wales.
No orders were made for compensation or costs but victim surcharge orders will be drawn up for each defendant, to be paid within two years.
SENTENCES
The longest sentence, of 27 months, was given to foreman scaffolder Ben Robert Cox, 27, of Tannery Close, Atherstone, who has previous convictions for public order and violence offences
David Everett, defending, said: "There are two sides to this defendant, one when he is in drink. He also is a responsible hard-working young man His partner is expecting their first child
"This matter was committed while he was under the influence of drink."
Jordan Liam Marshall and Joseph Gary Gilks, both of Royal Meadow Drive, Atherstone, were each given 24-month sentences.
Delroy Henry, for sales manager Marshall, 23, attributed his part in what happened to "stupidity and immaturity" but said Marshall did try to assist an elderly man.
Marcus Harry, defending 24-year-old Gilks, a former HGV mechanic, said he "holds his hands up – and he holds them up as far as possible. He accepts full responsibility for his role in the event.
"His behaviour on that day was wholly unacceptable. He did not at any point throw any punches or any kicks."
Road surfacer Andrew Storey, 20, of Old Farm Road, Mancetter, was given 22 months in a young offender institution.
Chris Hallas, for Storey, who had no previous convictions, said: "This was a moment of madness."
Construction industry worker Mark Norman Shilton, 30, of St George's Road, Atherstone, who had previous offences on his record, including drunk and disorderly and assaulting a police constable, was given 21 months imprisonment.
Plant machine operator Steven William Jakovlevs, 26, of The Crescent, Baddesley Ensor, received 19 months imprisonment, as did warehouseman Steven Robert Jones, 25, of Church Walk, Mancetter.
Emergency gas fitter Jacob Dennis Powell, 21, of Boot Hill Grendon, was sentenced to 19 months in a young offender institution. He had no previous convictions but last Christmas while on bail in connection with the football club incident he was involved in an altercation with a bouncer, said the prosecutor.
Sarah Allen, for Powell, said he had described his involvement in the violent disorder at Sheepy Road as the "worst mistake" of his life.
Read more:Photographs taken on the day of the incident at the Atherstone Town football match. www.tamworthherald.co.uk/jailed-violence-Atherstone-Town-football-match/story-28120121-detail/story.html#ixzz3qo2m5LVe
Follow us: @tamworthherald on Twitter | tamworth.herald on Facebook
By Tamworth Herald | Posted: November 05, 2015
EIGHT rampaging Atherstone Town supporters who confronted rival fans during half-time in an FA Cup game at the club's Sheepy Road ground have been given custodial sentences totalling more than 14½ years.
All admitted violent disorder which marred Adders' game against Barrow FC two years ago. They received individual sentences of between 19 and 27 months.
During the violent, short-lived incident, some ten, mainly elderly, Barrow supporters were injured and children were separated from their parents.
No Atherstone supporters were injured.
"It is hard to imagine a more terrifying event happening at a match," commented Judge Andrew Lockhart QC, before sentencing the eight at Warwick Crown Court, sitting in Leamington, yesterday. (Wednesday)
"Those who went to this match expected to be safe. They attended with families."
The judge said 21 people were due to appear before him this week for sentencing and added: "I take the view at least 50 Atherstone fans were involved [in the incident]."
Flares were let off during the violent melee, which the judge said he estimated lasted four to five minutes. Atherstone fans who raced across the pitch to confront and attack people who had travelled down from Barrow for the match, took a flag from their stand as a trophy and burned it.
Violence erupted on Saturday October 12 2013 when Atherstone Town played Barrow FC at home in the FA Cup third qualifying round fixture.
"Atherstone were several leagues below Barrow and were not expected to win," added Judge Lockhart, who said there had been an undercurrent of bad feeling.
In the run-up to the game, flares which burn at 100 degrees Fahrenheit were distributed at a public house where a large number of people who attended the match were present.
Flares were thrown onto the pitch and a woman received a burn injury during the violence.
The judge said around 150 people usually attended fixtures at Sheepy Road but 825 were expected at the FA Cup fixture. The two teams' fans were segregated and 16 security personnel and stewards were on duty.
Atherstone were 4-0 down at half-time. When the score reached 3-0 the home side's mood changed and Atherstone supporters were chanting and gesticulating towards the Barrow supporters and used a loud hailer to threaten that they would 'see them' at half-time.
Two groups from the Atherstone stand dashed across the pitch and confronted their visitors, the vast majority of whom were very young, middle-aged or old people. "Certainly it would have been obvious that the vast majority would not have wanted to fight," said Judge Lockhart.
The unruly Atherstone supporters were aggressive and intimidating. Flares were lit as they marched round the rear of a goal area and "one impacted into the arm of a woman who was standing there.
"Barrow fans were terrified. No-one was in any doubt that serious violence was going to be used.
"Those in the Atherstone stand cheered.
"At least one flare was lit and thrown into the Barrow stand. A Barrow fan threw that back out. Atherstone fans took umbrage and went into the Barrow stand."
The judge described the violence as "indiscriminate, immediate and vicious." He said: "It was not a fight between two sets of thugs. Atherstone fans were just attacking anybody regardless of whether they were elderly or not.
"There did not seem to be many Barrow fans who did not get punched."
Judge Lockhart said one man in the Barrow stand described what happened as "total mayhem", adding: "in 60 years of attending matches he had never seen anything like it. He really thought he was going to be assaulted that day."
Atherstone fans that remained in their stand after the first group went towards the visitors chose to join in and formed a second group.
Two of Barrow's substitute players who were warming up on the pitch during half-time were punched.
A 17-year-old girl who had a flag taken from her suffered an asthma attack when she tried to retrieve it. "All over the stand were people who had been attacked. A man in his 70s who could only walk with the aid of a walking stick received a cut on the bridge of his nose," added the judge.
At the start of the sentencing hearing, prosecutor David Lee said the material he had available did not show every single aspect of the case. "It is impossible to say what may or may not have happened off the camera."
However, none of the eight had challenged footage recorded at the game and shown in court.
Mr Lee said there had been no reports of excessive drinking by Barrow fans who attended the match.
When a lighted flair which had been thrown at the Barrow fans was thrown back, this incident triggered a reaction for members of the first group of attackers to charge into the Barrow stand past stewards.
"Punches were thrown and in some cases kicks, including to an elderly person. It was described as chaos or whatever."
The second group of Atherstone fans vaulted over a wall, ran across the pitch and assaulted Barrow 'subs' on the pitch.
When the Atherstone fans went back to their stand, the stolen Barrow flag was set alight, "which clearly caused terror to the people around it," added Mr Lee.
Judge Lockhart said a clear message would be sent out through the courts that football players on the pitch would be protected from assaults.
He imposed football banning orders for a minimum of six years on all defendants to, hopefully, prevent violence at future matches. The eight are banned from attending all matches in England and Wales.
No orders were made for compensation or costs but victim surcharge orders will be drawn up for each defendant, to be paid within two years.
SENTENCES
The longest sentence, of 27 months, was given to foreman scaffolder Ben Robert Cox, 27, of Tannery Close, Atherstone, who has previous convictions for public order and violence offences
David Everett, defending, said: "There are two sides to this defendant, one when he is in drink. He also is a responsible hard-working young man His partner is expecting their first child
"This matter was committed while he was under the influence of drink."
Jordan Liam Marshall and Joseph Gary Gilks, both of Royal Meadow Drive, Atherstone, were each given 24-month sentences.
Delroy Henry, for sales manager Marshall, 23, attributed his part in what happened to "stupidity and immaturity" but said Marshall did try to assist an elderly man.
Marcus Harry, defending 24-year-old Gilks, a former HGV mechanic, said he "holds his hands up – and he holds them up as far as possible. He accepts full responsibility for his role in the event.
"His behaviour on that day was wholly unacceptable. He did not at any point throw any punches or any kicks."
Road surfacer Andrew Storey, 20, of Old Farm Road, Mancetter, was given 22 months in a young offender institution.
Chris Hallas, for Storey, who had no previous convictions, said: "This was a moment of madness."
Construction industry worker Mark Norman Shilton, 30, of St George's Road, Atherstone, who had previous offences on his record, including drunk and disorderly and assaulting a police constable, was given 21 months imprisonment.
Plant machine operator Steven William Jakovlevs, 26, of The Crescent, Baddesley Ensor, received 19 months imprisonment, as did warehouseman Steven Robert Jones, 25, of Church Walk, Mancetter.
Emergency gas fitter Jacob Dennis Powell, 21, of Boot Hill Grendon, was sentenced to 19 months in a young offender institution. He had no previous convictions but last Christmas while on bail in connection with the football club incident he was involved in an altercation with a bouncer, said the prosecutor.
Sarah Allen, for Powell, said he had described his involvement in the violent disorder at Sheepy Road as the "worst mistake" of his life.
Read more:Photographs taken on the day of the incident at the Atherstone Town football match. www.tamworthherald.co.uk/jailed-violence-Atherstone-Town-football-match/story-28120121-detail/story.html#ixzz3qo2m5LVe
Follow us: @tamworthherald on Twitter | tamworth.herald on Facebook
