Men jailed for deadly violent attack on footballer

TWO MEN who killed an inspirational young footballer and expectant father after a “misplaced joke” have been jailed for launching a “violent, drunken” attack on their victim.

Matlock Town FC midfielder Jordan Sinnott died in hospital after suffering a fractured skull and brain damage.

The former Huddersfield Town and Halifax Town player had been assaulted in the centre of Retford, Nottinghamshire, in the early hours of January 25.

His mother, Mel Tait, addressing his killers in court during their sentencing, telling them: “You don’t deserve to have a life.”

Mr Sinnott’s partner, Kelly Bossons, also revealed that, a week before her partner’s funeral, she found out she was 12 weeks pregnant with his child.

At a sentencing hearing at Nottingham Crown Court yesterday, Cameron Matthews, 22, was jailed for eight years and three months. He had previously pleaded guilty to manslaughter after admitting throwing the fatal punches.

But it was Kai Denovan, of Collins Walk, Retford – who was found guilty of manslaughter after a trial – who instigated the attack, the judge said.

Jailing 23-year-old Denovan for 11 years, Judge John Burgess told him he had “played a leading role in the group”. It had been he who made the “joke”, and threw the first punch during an earlier incident in a pub, when he took exception to Mr Sinnott’s response.

After Mr Sinnott and his friends had walked away, out of the pub and up the street, Denovan “pointed them out”, and reignited the earlier violence.

The judge said it was accepted that the men never intended to cause death or serious injury “but the consequences of what you did are no less harmful,” adding: “There is no sentence I can pass to heal the pain (the family) feel.”

The third man involved – Sean Nicholson, 22, of Beechways, Retford – admitted affray and was jailed for 14 months.