FINAL DAY: CROWN COURT CARDIFF / VILLA FANS 5 FOUND GUILTY
Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2018 6:57 am
DAY 7 / FINAL DAY
The five Cardiff City and Aston Villa supporters denied using or threatening unlawful violence but were convicted by a jury after trial, all were granted bail.
Two Cardiff City fans and three Aston Villa supporters have been found guilty of violent disorder at a pub following the Championship clash last summer.
The jury of nine men and three women returned unanimous guilty verdicts. The defendants sighed and shook their heads as the verdicts were delivered.
Friday 6th October 2018
ALL ACCUSED GRANTED BAIL
April 2018 there were Sixteen Cardiff City and Aston Villa fans in court over violent clashes
Sixteen people were charged with using or threatening unlawful violence.
Some have had charges dropped, others charges dropped on first day of Court and a few pleaded guilty.
On the final day of Court there were only five Cardiff City and Aston Villa supporters left and all were found guilty by the jury.
Football fans who 'threw punches and launched bottles' in pub brawl guilty of violent disorder
Friday 6th October 2018
The five Cardiff City and Aston Villa supporters denied using or threatening unlawful violence but were convicted by a jury after trial
The five Cardiff City and Aston Villa supporters denied using or threatening unlawful violence but were convicted by a jury after trial
Two Cardiff City fans and three Aston Villa supporters have been found guilty of violent disorder at a pub following the Championship clash last summer.
Bluebirds supporters Nathan Pleace and Vincent Richards, along with Villa supporters Mark Baker, Gary Tucker and Brett Clarke, denied the charge but were convicted by a jury after a trial.
Opening the case at Cardiff Crown Court last week prosecutor James Wilson said: "The incident involved punches, kicks and bottles being thrown."
The court heard the public disorder occurred at The Cornwall pub on the junction between Cornwall Street and Hereford Street in Grangetown on August 12 last year.
The disorder was caught on CCTV both inside the pub and on the streets outside.
Post-football match brawl saw 'group of 20' in 'shorts, jeans and hoods' target city pub
Pleace, 30, of Andrew’s Road in Llandaff North, Cardiff, was seen to throw items including a bottle at the rival group and kick a man on the floor.
He accepted throwing a bottle but said he did it to keep the other men back. In his evidence he told the jury he thought his actions were "necessary".
Prosecutors said he had been before the courts for 12 previous offences, including affray, and was made the subject of a football banning order in 2011, with which he subsequently failed to comply.
Football fan 'saw big man trying to smash bottle over someone's head' during post-match pub brawl
Richards, 32, of Leckwith Road in Llandough, was caught on camera gesturing towards the Villa supporters.
He admitted he was at the scene but denied using or threatening unlawful violence. He told the jury he felt "angry" describing the pub as his "second home".
The court heard he had three previous convictions for affray and drug-related offending.
Football fan 'was acting in self-defence' from 'maniac' throwing punches during pub brawl
Baker, 47, of Ashburton Road in Birmingham, was seen throwing an object, which prosecutors alleged was a bottle or a glass.
In his evidence he said the item was not intended to hit anyone.
The court heard he had two previous convictions for possessing cocaine with intent to supply and public disorder.
Judge Neil Bidder QC again advised him to get legal representation, warning him: "You are unquestionably facing a prison sentence."
Gary Tucker (Image: Wales News Service)
Tucker, 51, of Holly Lane in Birmingham, was seen to get off the minibus and throw an object down Hereford Street.
He accepted getting off the minibus at the pub and throwing a plastic cup out of "frustration" in the heat of the moment.
Prosecutors said he had been before the courts for 17 previous offences including affray, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and causing criminal damage.
The court heard Tucker was made the subject of a football banning order in 1996. Judge Bidder described his record as "shocking".
Clarke, 40, of Winchester Drive in Solihull, was seen to run off the minibus before punching and kicking a Bluebirds fan.
He denied it was him on the CCTV. Prosecutors said he had no relevant previous convictions or cautions.
The jury of nine men and three women returned unanimous guilty verdicts. The defendants sighed and shook their heads as the verdicts were delivered.
Judge Bidder said: "Thank you very much, members of the jury. May I thank you for the care you have taken with this case."
The defendants were granted bail until they are sentenced.
DAY 6: CARDIFF CROWN COURT CARDIFF / ASTON VILL FANS
Media Wales & Birmingham live news
Wednesday 3rd October 2018
Football fan 'was acting in self-defence' from 'maniac' throwing punches during pub brawl
"One Villa fan was behaving like a "maniac" and was throwing punches "from the moment he came through the door".
A football fan accused of being part of a "huge disorder" in a Cardiff pub following a match told a court he felt "angry" as the venue was his "second home".
Five men are on trial following a post-game brawl at The Cornwall pub in Grangetown following the Championship clash between Cardiff City and Aston Villa on August 12 last year.
Cardiff City supporters Nathan Pleace and Vincent Richards, along with Aston Villa supporters Mark Baker, Gary Tucker and Brett Clarke, all deny violent disorder and are on trial at Cardiff Crown Court .
On Wednesday Cardiff City fan Richards, 32, told the jury he was offered a free ticket to the game on the day and arrived at the stadium five minutes before kick off.
He said he drank one pint at half-time but consumed no alcohol before the match.
The court heard how Richards and a friend made their way towards The Cornwall after the game finished. He said he knew the assistant manager Gemma Healey very well and described the pub as as his "second home".
The atmosphere in the pub was described as good by Richards as Cardiff had won 3-0.
CCTV played in court showed Richards at the side entrance as a group of Aston Villa fans arrived at the scene.
He said he heard a noise outside and proceeded to the side to see what was going on.
He said: "To have someone coming to your home and behave like that, you can't accept that behaviour."
The court heard Richards managed to close the side doors and made his way to the main entrance.
He said: "The scene in the doorway made me feel nervous and more angry as it went on.
"You needed to do something to not let it go further, to another level. We needed to help each other and close that door."
The footage showed Richards, of Leckwith Road in Llandough, throwing a plastic glass at someone outside the pub.
The CCTV also showed him kicking out at a man on the floor, which Richard said was because the man grabbed him "by the b*******".
Despite kicking out Richards said he believed he didn't make any contact with the man and instead hit someone else's shin.
Richards said the man on the floor was behaving like a "maniac" and was throwing punches "from the moment he came through the door".
After an exchange of punches between the man on the ground and Richards and others the man who had been on the floor managed to get out of the pub.
He added: "I was trying to stop the man from being aggressive – I had no option in my head.
"I have mates there and there are women – my priority was not to let him back in and behave the way he was around my friends and my family."
When asked what was going through his head at that moment, he said: "Self-defence and to defend whatever is around me."
Prosecutor James Wilson asked Richards why he didn't help close the door instead or phone the police.
Richards replied: "There's not much time to do that and get your phone out. I couldn't say: 'Excuse me mate can you leave the pub?'.
"It doesn't work like that in that situation."
The defendant said he accepted he made a mistake and understood his role in the act.
He added: "Looking back, in hindsight, I knew I shouldn't have done that. I only realised two weeks after that I went too far and for that I apologise."
The court heard Richards handed himself in to the police but gave a no comment interview.
On Tuesday fellow Cardiff fan Pleace, 30, of Andrew's Road in Llandaff North, also gave evidence.
Aston Villa fans Tucker, 51, of Holly Lane in Birmingham and Baker, 47, of Ashburton Road in Birmingham, also gave their evidence.
Clarke, 40, of Winchester Drive in Solihull, chose not to give evidence.
The trial continues.
DAY 5:
Tuesday 2nd October / Cardiff Crown Court
Cardiff / Villa
Villa fans arrived at 7pm at Cardiff Pub 2hrs after game had finished.
Football fan 'saw big man trying to smash bottle over someone's head' during post-match pub brawl
Court Reporter
Birmingham live / Media Wales
Tuesday 2nd October 2018
A football fan accused of being part of “huge disorder” in a Cardiff pub following a match told a court he took “necessary” action.
Five men are on trial following a post-game brawl at The Cornwall pub in Grangetown following the Championship clash between Cardiff City and Aston Villa on August 12 last year.
Cardiff City supporters Nathan Pleace and Vincent Richards, along with Aston Villa supporters Mark Baker, Gary Tucker and Brett Clarke all deny violent disorder and are on trial at Cardiff Crown Court.
On Tuesday three of the defendants gave evidence in their own defence.
Bluebirds fan Pleace, 30, of Andrew’s Road, in Llandaff North, told the jury he and a few friends were heading to the city centre through Grangetown after the match and headed towards The Cornwall.
He said had consumed four of five pints of lager.
CCTV played in court showed him standing outside the pub when a bottle smashed nearby.
He said: “I thought it was a commotion between locals but when I heard their accent I knew they weren’t from here.
“The first thing I saw was a big man with a bottle physically trying to smash a bottle over someone’s head. I didn’t want the man coming any closer to us.”
The footage shows Pleace throwing a plastic glass at the men during what he described as “huge disorder”.
The CCTV also showed him kicking out at a man on the floor and appearing to throw a punch, which he described as a shove, to a man on the floor.
He described the men as “agitated” and said they were calling people for a fight.
Asked what was going through his head, he said: “You haven’t got time to think – it was just one of those moments.”
He then picked up a chair from the pub which he said was a natural reaction. Pleace said he thought the group’s intentions were to cause serious harm to people in and out of the pub.
He added: “I thought everything I was doing on that day was necessary.”
Fellow defendant Tucker, 51, of Holly Lane in Birmingham, said he and other Villa fans left the Cardiff City Stadium when Aston Villa were losing at half-time. He said they went on a “pub crawl” and went to several pubs around Cardiff.
The court heard how the men said they were going to stop off at the first off licence they saw.
The bus of around 20 to 30 fans stopped outside Millennium Fish & Chips in Cornwall Street, opposite The Cownwall.
Tucker told the court he was on the bus when he heard someone shout “pub, pub” and they made their way towards the pub. CCTV was shown to the jury of the bus arriving.
Giving evidence Tucker said he didn’t enter the pub but he threw an object – believed to be a plastic pint glass – out of “frustration” and felt it was “necessary”.
He said it was in the heat of the moment but wasn’t sure why he had thrown an object.
When Tucker was arrested he declined legal advice and gave a no comment interview until he had spoken with a solicitor he knew.
Baker, 47, of Ashburton Road in Birmingham, was dressed in a white T-shirt and blue shorts on the footage and said he stood out like a “sore thumb”.
He told the court if he was coming for violence he would have dressed differently.
CCTV showed Baker throwing a can down the street, which he said wasn’t intended to hit anyone.
He also told the jury their behaviour was “childish” and they acted like a “bunch of lads”.
After heading back to the bus the court heard Baker returned to the pub. He said he heard someone was “trapped inside” and went to try and help.
When he was arrested he declined to have free independent legal advice, claiming the solicitors could have been “useless”.
Clarke, 40 of Winchester Drive in Solihull, also involved in the case, chose not to give evidence.
Richards, 32, of Leckwith Road in Llandough, is due to begin his defence on Wednesday.
All of the defendants deny violent disorder.
The trial continues.
The five Cardiff City and Aston Villa supporters denied using or threatening unlawful violence but were convicted by a jury after trial, all were granted bail.
Two Cardiff City fans and three Aston Villa supporters have been found guilty of violent disorder at a pub following the Championship clash last summer.
The jury of nine men and three women returned unanimous guilty verdicts. The defendants sighed and shook their heads as the verdicts were delivered.
Friday 6th October 2018
ALL ACCUSED GRANTED BAIL
April 2018 there were Sixteen Cardiff City and Aston Villa fans in court over violent clashes
Sixteen people were charged with using or threatening unlawful violence.
Some have had charges dropped, others charges dropped on first day of Court and a few pleaded guilty.
On the final day of Court there were only five Cardiff City and Aston Villa supporters left and all were found guilty by the jury.
Football fans who 'threw punches and launched bottles' in pub brawl guilty of violent disorder
Friday 6th October 2018
The five Cardiff City and Aston Villa supporters denied using or threatening unlawful violence but were convicted by a jury after trial
The five Cardiff City and Aston Villa supporters denied using or threatening unlawful violence but were convicted by a jury after trial
Two Cardiff City fans and three Aston Villa supporters have been found guilty of violent disorder at a pub following the Championship clash last summer.
Bluebirds supporters Nathan Pleace and Vincent Richards, along with Villa supporters Mark Baker, Gary Tucker and Brett Clarke, denied the charge but were convicted by a jury after a trial.
Opening the case at Cardiff Crown Court last week prosecutor James Wilson said: "The incident involved punches, kicks and bottles being thrown."
The court heard the public disorder occurred at The Cornwall pub on the junction between Cornwall Street and Hereford Street in Grangetown on August 12 last year.
The disorder was caught on CCTV both inside the pub and on the streets outside.
Post-football match brawl saw 'group of 20' in 'shorts, jeans and hoods' target city pub
Pleace, 30, of Andrew’s Road in Llandaff North, Cardiff, was seen to throw items including a bottle at the rival group and kick a man on the floor.
He accepted throwing a bottle but said he did it to keep the other men back. In his evidence he told the jury he thought his actions were "necessary".
Prosecutors said he had been before the courts for 12 previous offences, including affray, and was made the subject of a football banning order in 2011, with which he subsequently failed to comply.
Football fan 'saw big man trying to smash bottle over someone's head' during post-match pub brawl
Richards, 32, of Leckwith Road in Llandough, was caught on camera gesturing towards the Villa supporters.
He admitted he was at the scene but denied using or threatening unlawful violence. He told the jury he felt "angry" describing the pub as his "second home".
The court heard he had three previous convictions for affray and drug-related offending.
Football fan 'was acting in self-defence' from 'maniac' throwing punches during pub brawl
Baker, 47, of Ashburton Road in Birmingham, was seen throwing an object, which prosecutors alleged was a bottle or a glass.
In his evidence he said the item was not intended to hit anyone.
The court heard he had two previous convictions for possessing cocaine with intent to supply and public disorder.
Judge Neil Bidder QC again advised him to get legal representation, warning him: "You are unquestionably facing a prison sentence."
Gary Tucker (Image: Wales News Service)
Tucker, 51, of Holly Lane in Birmingham, was seen to get off the minibus and throw an object down Hereford Street.
He accepted getting off the minibus at the pub and throwing a plastic cup out of "frustration" in the heat of the moment.
Prosecutors said he had been before the courts for 17 previous offences including affray, assault occasioning actual bodily harm and causing criminal damage.
The court heard Tucker was made the subject of a football banning order in 1996. Judge Bidder described his record as "shocking".
Clarke, 40, of Winchester Drive in Solihull, was seen to run off the minibus before punching and kicking a Bluebirds fan.
He denied it was him on the CCTV. Prosecutors said he had no relevant previous convictions or cautions.
The jury of nine men and three women returned unanimous guilty verdicts. The defendants sighed and shook their heads as the verdicts were delivered.
Judge Bidder said: "Thank you very much, members of the jury. May I thank you for the care you have taken with this case."
The defendants were granted bail until they are sentenced.
DAY 6: CARDIFF CROWN COURT CARDIFF / ASTON VILL FANS
Media Wales & Birmingham live news
Wednesday 3rd October 2018
Football fan 'was acting in self-defence' from 'maniac' throwing punches during pub brawl
"One Villa fan was behaving like a "maniac" and was throwing punches "from the moment he came through the door".
A football fan accused of being part of a "huge disorder" in a Cardiff pub following a match told a court he felt "angry" as the venue was his "second home".
Five men are on trial following a post-game brawl at The Cornwall pub in Grangetown following the Championship clash between Cardiff City and Aston Villa on August 12 last year.
Cardiff City supporters Nathan Pleace and Vincent Richards, along with Aston Villa supporters Mark Baker, Gary Tucker and Brett Clarke, all deny violent disorder and are on trial at Cardiff Crown Court .
On Wednesday Cardiff City fan Richards, 32, told the jury he was offered a free ticket to the game on the day and arrived at the stadium five minutes before kick off.
He said he drank one pint at half-time but consumed no alcohol before the match.
The court heard how Richards and a friend made their way towards The Cornwall after the game finished. He said he knew the assistant manager Gemma Healey very well and described the pub as as his "second home".
The atmosphere in the pub was described as good by Richards as Cardiff had won 3-0.
CCTV played in court showed Richards at the side entrance as a group of Aston Villa fans arrived at the scene.
He said he heard a noise outside and proceeded to the side to see what was going on.
He said: "To have someone coming to your home and behave like that, you can't accept that behaviour."
The court heard Richards managed to close the side doors and made his way to the main entrance.
He said: "The scene in the doorway made me feel nervous and more angry as it went on.
"You needed to do something to not let it go further, to another level. We needed to help each other and close that door."
The footage showed Richards, of Leckwith Road in Llandough, throwing a plastic glass at someone outside the pub.
The CCTV also showed him kicking out at a man on the floor, which Richard said was because the man grabbed him "by the b*******".
Despite kicking out Richards said he believed he didn't make any contact with the man and instead hit someone else's shin.
Richards said the man on the floor was behaving like a "maniac" and was throwing punches "from the moment he came through the door".
After an exchange of punches between the man on the ground and Richards and others the man who had been on the floor managed to get out of the pub.
He added: "I was trying to stop the man from being aggressive – I had no option in my head.
"I have mates there and there are women – my priority was not to let him back in and behave the way he was around my friends and my family."
When asked what was going through his head at that moment, he said: "Self-defence and to defend whatever is around me."
Prosecutor James Wilson asked Richards why he didn't help close the door instead or phone the police.
Richards replied: "There's not much time to do that and get your phone out. I couldn't say: 'Excuse me mate can you leave the pub?'.
"It doesn't work like that in that situation."
The defendant said he accepted he made a mistake and understood his role in the act.
He added: "Looking back, in hindsight, I knew I shouldn't have done that. I only realised two weeks after that I went too far and for that I apologise."
The court heard Richards handed himself in to the police but gave a no comment interview.
On Tuesday fellow Cardiff fan Pleace, 30, of Andrew's Road in Llandaff North, also gave evidence.
Aston Villa fans Tucker, 51, of Holly Lane in Birmingham and Baker, 47, of Ashburton Road in Birmingham, also gave their evidence.
Clarke, 40, of Winchester Drive in Solihull, chose not to give evidence.
The trial continues.
DAY 5:
Tuesday 2nd October / Cardiff Crown Court
Cardiff / Villa
Villa fans arrived at 7pm at Cardiff Pub 2hrs after game had finished.
Football fan 'saw big man trying to smash bottle over someone's head' during post-match pub brawl
Court Reporter
Birmingham live / Media Wales
Tuesday 2nd October 2018
A football fan accused of being part of “huge disorder” in a Cardiff pub following a match told a court he took “necessary” action.
Five men are on trial following a post-game brawl at The Cornwall pub in Grangetown following the Championship clash between Cardiff City and Aston Villa on August 12 last year.
Cardiff City supporters Nathan Pleace and Vincent Richards, along with Aston Villa supporters Mark Baker, Gary Tucker and Brett Clarke all deny violent disorder and are on trial at Cardiff Crown Court.
On Tuesday three of the defendants gave evidence in their own defence.
Bluebirds fan Pleace, 30, of Andrew’s Road, in Llandaff North, told the jury he and a few friends were heading to the city centre through Grangetown after the match and headed towards The Cornwall.
He said had consumed four of five pints of lager.
CCTV played in court showed him standing outside the pub when a bottle smashed nearby.
He said: “I thought it was a commotion between locals but when I heard their accent I knew they weren’t from here.
“The first thing I saw was a big man with a bottle physically trying to smash a bottle over someone’s head. I didn’t want the man coming any closer to us.”
The footage shows Pleace throwing a plastic glass at the men during what he described as “huge disorder”.
The CCTV also showed him kicking out at a man on the floor and appearing to throw a punch, which he described as a shove, to a man on the floor.
He described the men as “agitated” and said they were calling people for a fight.
Asked what was going through his head, he said: “You haven’t got time to think – it was just one of those moments.”
He then picked up a chair from the pub which he said was a natural reaction. Pleace said he thought the group’s intentions were to cause serious harm to people in and out of the pub.
He added: “I thought everything I was doing on that day was necessary.”
Fellow defendant Tucker, 51, of Holly Lane in Birmingham, said he and other Villa fans left the Cardiff City Stadium when Aston Villa were losing at half-time. He said they went on a “pub crawl” and went to several pubs around Cardiff.
The court heard how the men said they were going to stop off at the first off licence they saw.
The bus of around 20 to 30 fans stopped outside Millennium Fish & Chips in Cornwall Street, opposite The Cownwall.
Tucker told the court he was on the bus when he heard someone shout “pub, pub” and they made their way towards the pub. CCTV was shown to the jury of the bus arriving.
Giving evidence Tucker said he didn’t enter the pub but he threw an object – believed to be a plastic pint glass – out of “frustration” and felt it was “necessary”.
He said it was in the heat of the moment but wasn’t sure why he had thrown an object.
When Tucker was arrested he declined legal advice and gave a no comment interview until he had spoken with a solicitor he knew.
Baker, 47, of Ashburton Road in Birmingham, was dressed in a white T-shirt and blue shorts on the footage and said he stood out like a “sore thumb”.
He told the court if he was coming for violence he would have dressed differently.
CCTV showed Baker throwing a can down the street, which he said wasn’t intended to hit anyone.
He also told the jury their behaviour was “childish” and they acted like a “bunch of lads”.
After heading back to the bus the court heard Baker returned to the pub. He said he heard someone was “trapped inside” and went to try and help.
When he was arrested he declined to have free independent legal advice, claiming the solicitors could have been “useless”.
Clarke, 40 of Winchester Drive in Solihull, also involved in the case, chose not to give evidence.
Richards, 32, of Leckwith Road in Llandough, is due to begin his defence on Wednesday.
All of the defendants deny violent disorder.
The trial continues.