Millwall fan gets jail for brutal blow

LONDON: A Millwall supporter has been jailed for two years after punching a rival fan who later died.

Andrew Lewis pleaded guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm on 56-year-old Nottingham Forest fan Paul O’Donnell in a car park outside Nottingham’s City Ground.

Lewis, 50, had drunk seven pints of lager before the Friday night fixture on Aug 4 and said he used violence against O’Donnell because he was saying “West Ham” — the name of Millwall’s bitter London rivals — at him.

O’Donnell was found in a critical condition two weeks later at his house in Newark, Nottinghamshire, after falling down the stairs, and was pronounced dead in hospital on Aug 24.

Manslaughter charges against Lewis were dropped, with prosecutor Miranda Moore telling the court doctors could not say definitely that the injuries caused by Lewis were directly responsible O’Donnell’s death.

Judge Gregory Dickinson told Lewis: “This was an entirely unnecessary as well as aggressive blow to a man who, at that moment, was incapable of defending himself because he was looking away... Everyone should be safe to attend matches like this without having to experience or witness violence.”

Lewis was jailed on Wednesday after admitting one count of causing grievous bodily harm at a previous hearing.