Millwall fans attacked Cardiff City stewards after being told to stop making Emiliano Sala plane gestures
One steward was punched 11 times, a court heard
By Jonathon Hill
News reporter
Tuesday 25th October 2022
A baying mob of Millwall supporters attacked stewards at the Cardiff City Stadium after being told to stop making sick aeroplane gestures joking about the death of Emiliano Sala.
Newport Crown Court heard that after two stewards approached Millwall hooligan Cory Ellis to tell him to stop making the gestures and chanting about Sala’s death at the Cardiff and Millwall match on August 21 last year, Cory Ellis, 19, and his father Kevin Ellis, 60, began arguing with the stewards in the Grange Stand away end.
CCTV footage played at a sentencing hearing showed how Cory’s brother Kane Ellis, 20, then rushed over to his relatives. A scuffle ensued before Kane Ellis began pushing one steward down the steep, concrete stairs, and Kevin Ellis punched another steward 11 times.
A number of supporters then rushed towards the melee and all pushed stewards to the ground - sometimes resulting in the stewards falling down stairs and over multiple rows of seats. As well as the Ellis’s fellow hooligans Conor Barton, Joe Down, Darren Grieveson, and Mitchell Wilcox all pleaded guilty to affray.
Kevin Ellis was sentenced to 12 months for his actions in the Millwall end at a match with Cardiff City at the Cardiff City Stadium in August 2021 (Image: South Wales Police)
Kane Ellis was a man of previously good character, but foolishly involved himself in the disorder as a result of misplaced loyalty (Image: South Wales Police)
Thomas Roberts, prosecuting, told the court: “It is known that some supporters of opposition clubs have taken to making plane gestures in reference to the tragic case of Emiliano Sala. There is a zero tolerance policy towards supporters who make the gesture.”
Mr Roberts explained how stewards are told they should remove fans from the stadium if they are seen to be making the gesture. One of the stewards said that when he told Cory Ellis to leave the stadium he was threatened with violence. The steward said that Kane Ellis threatened to stab him.
Multiple stewards said they had been punched, kicked, and stamped on during the incident resulting in some being seriously injured. Many Lions fans not involved in the violence stood and watched, with some chanting and encouraging the mob with their arms outstretched in elation.
Joshua Scouller, for father-of-four Kevin Ellis, said his client works as a butcher a stone’s throw from Millwall’s Den football ground and was a man of previously clean character. “I am not going to try and dress something up that it isn’t,” Mr Scouller told Judge Daniel Williams.
“He regrets his actions enormously. He even counted out the number of punches and pointed himself out on the CCTV footage. He has been fully cooperative and accepts that what he should have done was asked the steward if he could speak to him away from the scenes which were obviously becoming inflamed.” Mr Scouller also said his client’s youngest son has autism and relies on him significantly.
Stephen Thomas, for Kane Ellis, said he accepted that he “voluntarily involved himself in the disorder”. “He was not the instigator and he was some distance away when the incident started,” Mr Thomas continued. He said his client, who has no previous convictions or cautions, had involved himself in the disorder as a result of “misplaced loyalty”, adding that he was sober at the time.
For Cory Ellis, Peter Donnison said the 19-year-old, who was involved in pushing stewards but did not throw any punches or kicks, has no previous convictions and is vulnerable. He said his client would be easily led in a young offenders’ institution with “more criminally-minded people around him than himself”.
For Mitchell Wilcox, Cora Sorenson said that her client, who works full-time for a drainage firm and is 21 years old, has no previous convictions. He also has a “young child now fully dependent on him” she said. “That he chose to get involved is something that he has been asking himself ever since.”
For Danny Grieveson, David Pinnell said that his client does not accept that he punched anyone during the incident but admits to pushing. He said his client had previous good character and spent 22 years in the military, with three colleagues giving him “glowing” references. Mr Pinnell said the irony that his client was trained in control and obedience was not lost on him. “His mental health is not the best and there are concerns how he would cope in a prison setting,” Mr Pinnell said.
For 23-year-old Conor Barton, who is employed as a prison officer and is trained in security, Byron Broadstock told the court that Barton was a man of previously clean character and that his involvement was limited to pushing stewards. “He accepts that he was caught up in the collective atmosphere and that he temporarily lost his good judgement,” Mr Broadstock said.
For Joe Down, Nigel Fryer said the court had seen a letter from Down, 35, telling them that he was “disgusted” and “ashamed” by his involvement. Mr Fryer said his client, who is a supermarket worker, was also a man of previously clean character, adding: “He agrees that no-one should go to work and be subject to that sort of behaviour.”
Addressing all defendants Judge Daniel Williams told them: “In the second half of the game Cardiff took the lead. Witnesses described the atmosphere in the Millwall end as ‘changing’. A number of supporters were seen to mock the death of Emiliano Sala. This type of tribalism has blighted football for decades.
“Cory Ellis, you were one of the people who made the provocative gesture. Stewards then approached you to throw you out, which was entirely justified. Kevin Ellis, you reacted by saying that if anyone touched your son you would ‘smash them’, and that you would ‘f****ng do them’.
“Kane Ellis, you threatened to stab one of the stewards. Inevitably your actions inflamed other fans who then turned on the stewards.
“The stewards found themselves facing hostile aggression at a time when they were hopelessly outnumbered because they had the temerity - as you thought - to challenge those mocking the tragic death of a young footballer.”
Judge Williams said the individual roles of the defendants fell within two categories - those who rained punches down onto the stewards and those who pushed the stewards over. He informed Kevin and Kane Ellis that they fell into the more serious category, and told them to stand.
“Your offending is too serious to be dealt with by anything other than an immediate custodial sentence. Your offending is aggravated by the prolonged nature of the violence and the fact that you mindlessly assaulted people who were simply doing their jobs.”
Kevin Ellis was sentenced to 12 months, while Kane Ellis received nine months’ detention in a young offenders’ institution. Both will serve at least half of those terms behind bars. Kevin Ellis is banned from attending football matches for eight years, and Kane Ellis is banned for six years.
Conor Barton and Danny Grieveson received 12 months suspended for 18 months. Joe Down received six months suspended for 12 months. Mitchell Wilcox and Cory Ellis received six months in detention suspended for 12 months. All the defendants must complete 180 hours of unpaid work and pay £500 each in costs.
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