12 men charged with manslaughter of football fan who was attacked in 2015

Twelve men have been charged with the manslaughter of a football fan who was left permanently brain damaged by an attack on his way home from a match in 2015 and died five years later.

Cambridge United fan Simon Dobbin was assaulted in Southend, Essex, in March 2015 after watching his team play Southend United.

He died five years later in October 2020, aged 48.

Essex Police said on Wednesday that the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) had authorised manslaughter charges against 12 men.

The CPS said they are: Greg Allen, 37, of Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex; Ryan Carter, 40, of HMP The Mount; Jamie Chambers, 33, of Southend-on-Sea, Essex; Lewis Courtnell, 43, of Leigh-on-Sea, Essex; Philip McGill, 40, of Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex; Scott Nicholls, 49, of Basildon, Essex; Matthew Petchey, 35, of Rochford, Essex; Rhys Pullen, 29, of Maldon, Essex; Thomas Randall, 31, of Leigh-on-Sea, Essex; Michael Shawyer, 40, of Leigh-on-Sea, Essex; Alexander Woods, 33, of Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex; and James Woods, 33, of Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex.

Violence had flared outside the Railway Tavern pub in Southend in March 2015.

Former RAF serviceman Mr Dobbin was working as a transport manager for a fuel company before the attack.

The married father’s family provided him with 24-hour care at home in Mildenhall, Suffolk, until his death.

Rebecca Mundy, Deputy Chief Crown Prosecutor, said on Wednesday: “We can confirm today that we have taken the decision to prosecute 12 men with manslaughter following the death of Simon Dobbin.

“Prosecutors in our Complex Casework Unit have worked closely with Essex Police to examine and review the material obtained from their investigations from both the incident itself and following the death of Mr Dobbin.

“We have established that there is sufficient evidence to charge 12 people with the offence of manslaughter and that it is in the public interest to pursue criminal proceedings.”

Detective Superintendent Stephen Jennings of Essex Police 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.”

The 12 men are all due to appear before Colchester Magistrates’ Court on March 31.