VIDEO: Jail for football thug who kicked PC's head (From Daily Echo)
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Southampton-based Millwall fan Leonard Pinnick jailed after kicking officer outside St Mary's Stadium ahead of FA Cup match
8:14am Monday 7th January 2013 in Sport
Millwall fan Leonard Pinnick kicking a police officer outside St Mary's Stadium
THIS was the moment a football thug unleashed a ferocious attack on a police officer and kicked him in the face.
Violent Leonard Pinnick left PC Darren Willis with a dislocated jaw, black eyes and broken teeth after lashing out at the officer who was restraining his drunken father on the ground.
Both men, who are Millwall fans living in Southampton, had been drinking heavily before the two sides met for an FA Cup match at St Mary’s on February 7 last year.
Now the 26-year-old, from Bitterne Road West, is starting a three-year jail term and is facing an eight-year ban from attending football matches for what a judge described as a “reckless”
and “targeted” attack.
Southampton Crown Court heard how the violence, which was captured on CCTV, erupted outside the stadium as the evening game kicked off, when both father and son were turned away for being drunk.
Leonard Pinnick’s father Lee, who was 49 at the time, was being restrained on the pavement after spitting at an officer and telling another “I’ll cut your throat and kill your family”.
Pinnick then ran over to him and kicked out with force, sending the officer’s helmet flying as he made contact with his face.
Prosecutor Fiona Rutherford said: “There was a struggle, then the officer felt a heavy blow to the right side of his face.”
PC Willis suffered a dislocated jaw, swelling to his face, a black eye and cuts to the inside of his mouth from his damaged teeth, making it difficult for him to eat, the court heard.
The Daily Echo reported last May how Lee Pinnick was found guilty of assaulting a police officer, using threatening language and trying to enter a sports ground while drunk, following a trial at Southampton Magistrates’ Court.
He was handed a 14-week jail term, and he was suspended and banned from games for three years.
As Leonard Pinnick was jailed he yelled out to a woman in the public gallery, saying “no, don’t cry over him, don’t cry over that”.
The court heard how the assault happened only one week after Leonard Pinnick had assaulted a ticket conductor on a train returning from a Millwall game and three months after he had repeatedly punched a man at an ATM in Southampton.
Representing Leonard Pinnick, Alistair Wright said his client had kicked PC Willis because he thought excessive force was being used against his father.
Judge Derwyn Hope said Pinnick kicked PC Willis “with a shod foot that was not only deliberate towards that officer, but with a high degree of recklessness.”
He added: “You caused more harm than was necessary and you particularly targeted the officer.”
Comments(27)
Saintwiz
says...
8:52am Mon 7 Jan 13
Soap on rope x2.
dibsy1984
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9:00am Mon 7 Jan 13
Harefield boy
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9:09am Mon 7 Jan 13
Both should have been jailed..
SotonLad
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9:33am Mon 7 Jan 13
freefinker
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9:41am Mon 7 Jan 13
SotonLad wrote:.. oh, shoot the messenger? What a good idea.
Alastair Wright, how do you sleep at night?
You obviously have no idea how our legal system works.
Lone Ranger.
says...
9:48am Mon 7 Jan 13
freefinker wrote:You are probably correct ..... But sometimes you just wonder how the indefensible can be defended
SotonLad wrote:.. oh, shoot the messenger? What a good idea.
Alastair Wright, how do you sleep at night?
You obviously have no idea how our legal system works.
alan.of.eastleigh
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9:54am Mon 7 Jan 13
Lone Ranger. wrote:Isn't it the mark of a civilised society? Everyone is innocent until proven guilty and everyone is entitled to the best possible defence. The right outcome was delivered leaving no room for doubt.
freefinker wrote:You are probably correct ..... But sometimes you just wonder how the indefensible can be defendedSotonLad wrote: Alastair Wright, how do you sleep at night?.. oh, shoot the messenger? What a good idea. You obviously have no idea how our legal system works.
sarfhamton
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10:42am Mon 7 Jan 13
Ted Rogers
says...
10:49am Mon 7 Jan 13
sarfhamton wrote:The sort of Moron who kicks someone else in the head and realises that the clothes he wears to court will probably have to do him for the first night he spends in Winchester nick....
What sort of Moron wears a hooded top to court?
sarfhamton
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11:06am Mon 7 Jan 13
Ted Rogers wrote:Well of course his crime of violence are worse than his fashion ones but it sums up the sort of person he is.
sarfhamton wrote:The sort of Moron who kicks someone else in the head and realises that the clothes he wears to court will probably have to do him for the first night he spends in Winchester nick....
What sort of Moron wears a hooded top to court?
I went to this game and bumped into some Millwall fans, although drunk and vocal they mingled with Saints fans with good humour.
Idiots like this are trying to drag game back to the 70s
Ted Rogers
says...
11:40am Mon 7 Jan 13
sarfhamton wrote:Unfortunately there are a few in our own ranks that have the same goal.
Ted Rogers wrote:Well of course his crime of violence are worse than his fashion ones but it sums up the sort of person he is. I went to this game and bumped into some Millwall fans, although drunk and vocal they mingled with Saints fans with good humour. Idiots like this are trying to drag game back to the 70ssarfhamton wrote: What sort of Moron wears a hooded top to court?The sort of Moron who kicks someone else in the head and realises that the clothes he wears to court will probably have to do him for the first night he spends in Winchester nick....
You only have to read the article about the Arsenal supporters being ejected from the family stand. How sad it is that you can't support different teams without being or feeling threatened by the opposing fans.
I watched Saturdays match sandwiched between a Chelsea and a Portsmouth fan - very good natured and enjoyable - result took a bit of the shine off though :-{
can happen to anyone
says...
1:02pm Mon 7 Jan 13
florida saint
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1:23pm Mon 7 Jan 13
Outside of the Box
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1:27pm Mon 7 Jan 13
mbetts
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2:24pm Mon 7 Jan 13
Higginz
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3:32pm Mon 7 Jan 13
can happen to anyone wrote:Just for you... http://www.youtube.c
why is it that cctv is cut??? open your eyes everyone!
om/watch?v=afE4uW_V6
DY
cleanupsoccer
says...
3:59pm Mon 7 Jan 13
Ted Rogers wrote:And many of them are leading posters on the Saints threads. Although mostly passed their prime and slowing down a bit, so just give it endless boring verbal.
sarfhamton wrote:Unfortunately there are a few in our own ranks that have the same goal.
Ted Rogers wrote:Well of course his crime of violence are worse than his fashion ones but it sums up the sort of person he is. I went to this game and bumped into some Millwall fans, although drunk and vocal they mingled with Saints fans with good humour. Idiots like this are trying to drag game back to the 70ssarfhamton wrote: What sort of Moron wears a hooded top to court?The sort of Moron who kicks someone else in the head and realises that the clothes he wears to court will probably have to do him for the first night he spends in Winchester nick....
You only have to read the article about the Arsenal supporters being ejected from the family stand. How sad it is that you can't support different teams without being or feeling threatened by the opposing fans.
I watched Saturdays match sandwiched between a Chelsea and a Portsmouth fan - very good natured and enjoyable - result took a bit of the shine off though :-{
Ted Rogers
says...
4:48pm Mon 7 Jan 13
Higginz wrote:The officer must be pretty disappointed that his colleagues let Moron number 2 anywhere near him whilst he was restraining Moron number 1.
can happen to anyone wrote: why is it that cctv is cut??? open your eyes everyone!Just for you... http://www.youtube.c om/watch?v=afE4uW_V6 DY
Outside of the Box
says...
6:26pm Mon 7 Jan 13
Ted Rogers wrote:The cctv shows loads of other police and stewards come running as soon as the officer is kicked, one wonders why they didn't intervene prior to the boot going in?
Higginz wrote:The officer must be pretty disappointed that his colleagues let Moron number 2 anywhere near him whilst he was restraining Moron number 1.
can happen to anyone wrote: why is it that cctv is cut??? open your eyes everyone!Just for you... http://www.youtube.c om/watch?v=afE4uW_V6 DY
Winchester Saint
says...
9:52pm Mon 7 Jan 13
I remember when I and a old school mate of mine went to St Mary for first ever football match back in 2011 while Saints was in League One.
When game over, the police stopped us among Saints fans. We waited while the police shepherded Millwall fans away from St Mary's area before we are cleared to go home safety.
Both were proved to be two of the worst football fans Millwall ever had. Shame on them and I hope they learnt their lesson, maybe not?
Outside of the Box
says...
10:24pm Mon 7 Jan 13
Winchester Saint wrote:Yep Millwall fans from Harefield in Southampton.
Yeah, well, Millwall fans is one of ten worst violent fans in England so according to list published recently.
I remember when I and a old school mate of mine went to St Mary for first ever football match back in 2011 while Saints was in League One.
When game over, the police stopped us among Saints fans. We waited while the police shepherded Millwall fans away from St Mary's area before we are cleared to go home safety.
Both were proved to be two of the worst football fans Millwall ever had. Shame on them and I hope they learnt their lesson, maybe not?
A finer pair of idiots you'll not meet.
WECOMING4U
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7:47am Tue 8 Jan 13
lancecutter
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1:07pm Tue 8 Jan 13
katrina_27
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10:19am Thu 10 Jan 13
lancecutter wrote:A friend of his?? your views will be completely bias, but from an outsider this is wrong on ALL levels!!!
I was actually there when it happened, the cop was being too heavy handed and got what he deserved. You had about 10 cops on one man. Just because he's a copper, Lenny gets 3 years. Wrong!
Mary outran
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8:30pm Thu 10 Jan 13
lancecutter
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8:10pm Thu 24 Jan 13
chavfreezone says...
8:23am Mon 7 Jan 13