Twelve men charged with manslaughter over death of football fan
Southend supporter Simon Dobbin died in 2020, five years after being assaulted on his way home from a football match.
Twelve men have been charged with manslaughter over the death of football fan Simon Dobbin, who died in 2020 five years after being assaulted on his way home from a match in Southend.
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Simon travelled to Southend to watch his beloved Cambridge United play Southend United on 21 March 2015.
After the match, Simon was subjected to a sustained and violent attack, which left him with injuries that changed his life.
Following the attack and due to the injuries he had sustained, Simon received 24-hour care from his family.
In October 2020, Simon sadly died.
The Crown Prosecution Service has today authorised manslaughter charges against 12 men.
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The men facing manslaughter charges have been named as:
- Greg Allen, 37, of Wellington Avenue, Westcliff
- Ryan Carter, 30, of HMP - The Mount
- Jamie Chambers, 33, of Southchurch Avenue, Southend
- Lewis Courtnell, 43, of Pall Mall, Leigh-on-Sea
- Philip McGill, 40, of Hornby Avenue, Westcliff
- Scott Nicholls, 49, of Little Spenders, Basildon
- Matthew Petchey, 35, of Pollards Close, Rochford
- Rhys Pullen, 29, of Lysander Grove, Maldon
- Thomas Randall, 31, of Grand Parade, Leigh-on-Sea
- Michael Shawyer, 40, of Edinburgh Avenue, Leigh-On-Sea
- Alexander Woods, 33, of First Avenue, Westcliff
- James Woods, 33, of The Green, Nawton, York
All 12 are due to appear at Colchester Magistrates' Court on Tuesday 31 March.
Detective Superintendent Stephen Jennings said: “This is a significant milestone in an extremely complex investigation, and comes as the result of the professionalism, dedication, and hard work from a team of highly skilled officers and staff.
“Investigations such as these are challenging and can take time, it has required hundreds of hours of painstaking work to get to this stage.
“Throughout this time we have worked closely with the Crown Prosecution Service.
“Simon’s case is one that has evoked a great deal of emotion, but I would ask people to be mindful about commentary to ensure those charged are able to have a fair trial.
“I want to thank Simon’s family - his wife Nicole and daughter Emily - for their patience and unwavering support for our team.”