Parole offences rocket by 50%

AN Italian hooligan who “destroyed” the life of a Liverpool supporter has been jailed for three and a half years.

Roma fan Simone Mastrelli, 30, knocked father-of-three Sean Cox, 53, unconscious to the floor.

Mastrelli, a married man with children, was with a group of between 50 and 60 thugs covering their heads and faces, and some carrying belts as weapons.

As Mr Cox, from Dunboyne in Co Meath, lay motionless, near Liverpool’s Anfield ground, the defendant quickly disappeared. He flew back to Italy the next day and remained at large until he was arrested in October.

Mastrelli pleaded guilty at Preston Crown Court to unlawfully and maliciously inflicting grievous bodily harm on Mr Cox. The court heard Mr Cox was undergoing treatment for a “profound” brain injury.

Keith Sutton, prosecuting, said sales director Mr Cox had been “a busy husband and father of three children with a wide circle of friends” who would be unlikely to live independently again.

His daughter, Shauna, 20, read out a victim personal statement as Mastrelli watched on from the dock, flanked by an interpreter.

She said: “Before this brutal and vicious attack my dad was a fit and confident man, a man of integrity with a huge passion for life who represented everything which is good.

“A mentor, a proud family man with great community spirit. This violent and unprovoked attacked left dad in a dire situation.

“My dad went to watch his beloved team, Liverpool, and he never came home.” Judge Mark Brown, THE number of criminals charged with offences while on parole has rocketed by more than

50% in four years. Official figures show increases since the probation service was partially privatised.

Murder charges rose by

63% from 70 to 114, while cases of violence against the person rose by 38% from 139 to 192.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Justice said: “Serious further

ATTACK: Mastrelli told Mastrelli: “You have destroyed the life of an innocent man and his family.”

Outside court, Mr Cox’s wife Martina said: “While it is pleasing to know that Mr Mastrelli will serve three-and-a-half years, he has given Sean and our family a life sentence.” offences are rare with fewer than 0.5% of offenders under statutory supervision convicted, but each one is taken extremely seriously and investigated fully.

“Our probation reforms mean we are now monitoring 4,000 offenders who would previously have been released with no supervision at all.”