Charges sicken me – wife of beaten Simon
THE wife of an Ormskirk man brutally battered and left permanently brain damaged by a gang of thugs has slammed the charges filed against his attackers.
Simon Dobbin, now 44, was left in a coma after the savage beating when a gang of yobs rained punches and kicks on him following a football match between Southend United and Cambridge United.
Mr Dobbin, a Liverpool FC fan who grew up in the town, is now unable to walk or talk and requires round-theclock care from his devoted wife, Nicole.
Many have questioned why his attackers were charged with violent disorder, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, and not a more serious allegation of causing grievous bodily harm or attempted murder.
Nicole, 46, from Mildenhall in Suffolk, said: “Them not facing more serious charges was really frustrating.
“The problem was, police couldn’t pinpoint who actually caused the injuries so they had to go with violent disorder.
“But that’s a pretty low sentence – three of those responsible got five years, meaning they’ll only serve oneand-a-half years.
“I just can’t believe that grown men will arrange to go and meet and beat the cr*p out of each other. “It sickens me. “The fact three defendants got five years was purely because two of them clearly had Simon’s blood on them.
“And the other defendant had sent a Facebook message saying that he had blood on his shoes and he had got rid of them.
“The charge should have been a lot higher, although it came out that Simon suffered a cardiac arrest and needed CPR, he was clinically dead for seven minutes.
“So, if they hadn’t have managed to bring Simon back, it would have been a murder charge.”
Simon grew up in Ormskirk until he joined the RAF at 18.
Before the Southend attack in March, 2015, he would travel most fortnights to Anfield from his home in Suffolk.
Nicole has now given up her job as a carer to look after her husband fulltime.
After a six-week trial at Basildon Crown Court, all 13 men in the dock were found guilty – nine convicted of violent disorder, three of conspiracy to commit violent disorder, and a 13th man was found guilty of assisting an offender,
They were sentenced to a combined total of 42 years in prison.
The yob gang scouted out locations as they planned the attack in revenge for a fight earlier in the day in which Mr Dobbin had no involvement.