Bristol Rovers supporter jailed for attacking Swindon Town fan

A Bristol Rovers fan has been jailed - and banned from watching his team play for six years - after kicking a Swindon Town supporter in the stomach during trouble outside the Memorial Stadium.

William Dinham-Mead admitted provoking unlawful violence as fans clashed after the West Country derby which saw Swindon Town beat Bristol Rovers 3-1 on October 2 last year.

The 27-year-old was handed a 10-week prison sentence for the offence at Bristol Magistrates’ Court this morning (Wednesday, June 15), with District Judge Lynn Matthews telling him: “Football violence in Bristol seems to have resurrected itself, and that’s really depressing.”

The court heard that Dinham-Mead, of Badminton Road, was drunk at the time of the incident, which was ‘out of character’ for him.

Police footage shown to the court showed Dinham-Meid along with hundreds of other supporters jeering and shouting obscenities at each other on Gloucester Road.

During the commotion, Dinham-Mead kicked a Swindon Town supporter in the stomach as he lay on the floor having been pushed to the ground.

Dinham-Mead’s defence solicitor said that he had expressed ‘genuine remorse and shame’ for what happened.

She told the court that she had been ‘impressed’ with Dinham-Mead who had a good job in construction, and was all round a young man of ‘impeccably good character’.

The solicitor urged District Judge Lynn Matthews not to impose a football banning order, as the sport had been ‘a huge part of Dinham-Mead’s life since he was a child, adding: “I don’t think the court will see him here again.”

But Judge Matthews was unconvinced, telling the defendant: “When your mental health issues become too much, your natural reaction is not to put your boot into the stomach of a fan of an opposing team.

“You simply joined this band of hooligans and acted like a hooligan yourself.”

Judge Matthews said she had received many character references praising the defendant, which she ‘very much took into account’.

“But this was a high culpability offence,” she added. “An individual was targeted by a group of you, simply because he wasn’t aligned with your team.

“The incident escalated into violence and you were part of the rabble.”

Judge Matthews said it ‘depressed’ her to see football violence rear its head again in Bristol after ‘a period of respite’.

“I’m seeing an increase of cases of this nature in court,” she said. “Families attend these matches - children attend these matches.

“We don’t see violence after cricket matches, why is it always football? Why shouldn’t people be able to take their children to these matches without fear of exposing them to violence?”

The football banning order forbids him from attending Bristol Rovers or England matches for six years.

Dinham-Mead was also ordered to pay £128 statutory surcharge along with court costs of £85.

No order was made for compensation as the Swindon Town supporter was never identified.