Community service for Bluebirds star Tomlin after brawl
CARDIFF City star Lee Tomlin has been sentenced to 80 hours of community service for his part in an early-hours brawl that left a man with a badly broken jaw.
Fellow footballer Billy Kee, a forward with League Two side Accrington Stanley, was fined £350 for throwing a punch during the same fight, which was captured on CCTV.
Tomlin, 28, admitted affray after prosecutors decided not to proceed with a wounding charge following a review of footage showing the victim squaring up to the players after jumping over a set of railings.
Leicester Crown Court was told Kee, 26, who pleaded guilty to common assault, attempted to pull his friend Tomlin, who signed for the Bluebirds from Bristol City in the summer, away from the confrontation in the city centre on January 22.
Both players had been accused of causing grievous bodily harm but were cleared of the charge on the orders of the judge.
Prosecutor Ian Way accepted that the complainant – who spent three days in hospital – had “contributed” to what happened.
CCTV clips presented to the court showed Kee trying to pull Tomlin away from the scene before throwing a single punch towards the victim’s head.
Tomlin struck out twice at the victim, who had been drinking with a group of friends at the Ghost nightclub, during a subsequent fracas in which a bystander removed his belt, Mr Way said.
Mr Way told the court: “At about 3.30am the complainant and his friend went outside the club to the smoking area, which is near a waisthigh set of railings. At that point they went over the fence and met face to face with the defendants and their group. There was an argument and the next thing (the victim) remembers is a heavy blow.”
Handing Tomlin a 12-month community order and a bill for £500 in prosecution costs, Judge Ebraham Mooncey told the footballers: “The position is that on the night both of you had been out for the evening. You accept that you were drinking. You (Tomlin) are fearful your drinks may have been interfered with.”
The judge said of the events filmed near and outside the club: “There is conversation taking place and it’s not pleasant conversation.
“Both of you don’t appear to be completely sober.”
Kee, whose barrister claimed the player’s actions were “very close” to lawful self-defence, was ordered to pay £150 in costs.
The judge told Kee: “I accept your role was to try to placate matters. Because of the conduct of other people you misbehaved and did throw a punch.”
Former Middlesbrough forward Tomlin, of Broughton Astley, Leicestershire, and Kee, of Mountsorrel, near Leicester, both began their careers in Leicester City’s youth set-up.
Tomlin’s lawyer, Chris Daw QC, said the player had received verbal abuse inside the nightclub.
“He regrets having become involved,” the barrister said.
Philip Holden, offering mitigation for Kee, said: “He was looking after Mr Tomlin and trying to pull him away.”