Teens handed banning orders following Boxing Day football violence
BANNED: The four teens have been handed three year banning orders
GAZZETTE
Thursday 14th July 2016
FOUR youths have been handed football banning orders after violence erupted in Colchester town centre.
The boys were each banned from going to matches for three years and ordered to pay £100 in fines.
A fight broke out between opposing fans ahead of Colchester United’s match with Southend United on Boxing Day.
The clashes took place in Abbeygate Street near the Brewers Arms, on Osbourne Street.
On Friday, a 16-year-old from Tiptree appeared alongside a 16-year-old from Southminster, a 15-year-old from Mayland and a 16-year-old from a Dengie village in Chelmsford Magistrates Court.
None of the youths, who are all Southend fans, can be named.
Bob Rowlinson, prosecuting, said: “This was an incident that took place three and a half miles from the stadium.
“The Colchester group were drinking in a pub called the Brewers Arms. The larger Southend group went outside the pub and started goading those inside.”
The Southend group then left the pub and headed toward an underpass, before being called back by Colchester fans.
The Southend fans turned to confront the group of Colchester fans, and fighting broke out.
Mr Rowlinson said: “My application would be for football banning orders to be imposed on all four defendants.
“We say it is necessary for banning orders to be imposed to prevent any further violence or disorder at regulated football matches.
“This did not happen inside the ground but we say it is still football related.”
All four defendants apologised to the court for their actions, after entering guilty pleas on June 30.
The banning orders prevent the boys from going within one mile of Southend’s Roots Hall ground on the days Southend are playing from four hours before kick-off to four hours after the match.
The orders also ban them from any cities or towns where Southend are playing away football matches.
Linda Young, chair of the bench, also served the foursome with youth referral orders, which will last for three months.
She also ordered each of them to pay court costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £15.
She added: “We have also been asked to make a football banning order which we will do for a period of three years.”
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