Twelve men have been charged with manslaughter over the death of football fan Simon Dobbin who was assaulted on his way home from a match.
The former RAF serviceman was left permanently brain damaged by the attack after a Southend United vs Cambridge United match on March 21, 2015.
The father-of-three died five years later, after his tragic case featured in an episode of the BBC‘s DIY SOS series, when his home was adapted by Nick Knowles and a team of volunteers.
Nicola, Simon’s widow, today spoke of her relief at the development after the Crown Prosecution Service announced it was charging the suspects.
She said: ‘It has been a long process with a lot of work to secure the charges of manslaughter but we’ve got the result we wanted.
‘Now (with the manslaughter charges) we can hopefully get closure.
‘This is something we’ve had to live with. You don’t get over losing someone and our lives completely changed, not only after the attack but also after he died.
‘For five-and-a-half years, I spent everyday at Simon’s bedside and suddenly he was gone.’
Simon Dobbin was assaulted on his way home from a Southend United vs Cambridge United match in March 2015
Mr Dobbin is pictured with his daughter Emily (left) and wife Nicole (right) at Cambridge United FC, following the attack
His story touched the nation after a team of volunteers came forward to help with the adaptation of his home in Peterhouse Close, Mildenhall with Nick Knowles on DIY SOS
Mrs Dobbin thanked the DIY SOS team for their work during the episode in January 2019
The dozen men who have been charged with manslaughter are: Greg Allen, 37, of Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex; Ryan Carter, 40, of HMP The Mount in Hertfordshire; Jamie Chambers, 33, of Southend-on-Sea, Essex; Lewis Courtnell, 43, of Leigh-on-Sea, Essex; Philip McGill, 40, of Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex; Scott Nicholls, 49, of Basildon, Essex; Matthew Petchey, 35, of Rochford, Essex; Rhys Pullen, 29, of Maldon, Essex; Thomas Randall, 31, of Leigh-on-Sea, Essex; Michael Shawyer, 40, of Leigh-on-Sea, Essex; Alexander Woods, 33, of Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex; and James Woods, 33, of Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex.
Mr Dobbin was on his way home to Mildenhall in Suffolk after watching his beloved Cambridge, when rival supporters poured out of a nearby pub, The Railway Tavern, and allegedly ‘jumped’ a group of away fans.
One witness, speaking after the attack, said the rival fans ‘just used [Mr Dobbin] like a football’, and said he was saved by a friend who laid on top of him.
Mr Dobbin suffered brain damage, damaged hips, broken ribs and a broken nose during the onslaught and spent more than three weeks on life support.
He was unable to hug his wife or his daughter Emily, or even tell them he loved them, following the attack.
His wife said in 2020 of his alleged attackers: ‘Every time I look at Simon, I can see the damage they caused him.
‘They are monsters. They didn’t give any consideration to what they were doing.’
The former military man left the RAF in 1999, although a team of servicemen were among the volunteers who helped adapt his home following the attack.
Rebecca Mundy, deputy chief crown prosecutor, said: ‘We can confirm today that we have taken the decision to prosecute 12 men with manslaughter following the death of Simon Dobbin.
‘Prosecutors in our Complex Casework Unit have worked closely with Essex Police to examine and review the material obtained from their investigations from both the incident itself and following the death of Mr Dobbin.
‘We have established that there is sufficient evidence to charge 12 people with the offence of manslaughter and that it is in the public interest to pursue criminal proceedings.
‘The Crown Prosecution Service reminds all concerned that proceedings against the defendants are now active and that they have a right to a fair trial.
‘It is vital that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in anyway prejudice these proceedings.’