CCTV footage captures the moment a father delivers a headbutt to a fellow football fan – before his son joins in on the attack. It is understood the confrontation was over a queue
A dad and son have been caught on camera starting a massive brawl in a pub. CCTV footage captures the moment a dad delivers a headbutt to a fellow football fan – before his son joins in on the attack in a row over queue jumping.
A court heard Carl James, 43, broke his victim’s nose in The Red Lion pub in Watford, Herts. Callum James, 20, then joined in with the father and son team punching and pouring beer on the fellow Watford fan following the Hornets’ 3-0 home victory against Middlesbrough last November.
However, the pair escaped a football banning order, as a magistrate deemed the “spark” of the violent offence was not football-related. The victim of the assault, a season ticket holder at Vicarage Road, says he hasn’t returned to Watford’s home stadium since the attack last November.
St Albans magistrates’ court heard the attack had instead been sparked by an incident prior to kick off, when Callum James jumped a queue. Prosecutor Harriet Burke told the court that, once the father and son were challenged verbally by their victim, Callum James responded sarcastically, and nothing more came of the incident.
After the game, however, the father and son entered The Red Lion pub and saw the man who had challenged them in the queue earlier that day. “Carl and Callum began shouting, ‘There’s a queue here’ – a clear reference to the earlier incident,” Ms Burke said.
Ms Burke said the victim responded by saying: “Oh, you’re the one who doesn’t understand how queues work,” at which point Carl James carried out an unprovoked, ‘jumping headbutt’ into the man’s face.
“Carl and Callum then delivered upwards of 10 punches to his head,” Ms Burke continued. “Callum also poured a pint of beer over him. Door staff quickly separated the brawl and police, who entered the pub, were directed towards the defendants by bar staff, who commented that the father and son were “always trouble”.
Carl James pleaded ignorance before sprinting out of the pub as police went downstairs to watch the CCTV, Ms Burke told the court. After being chased for 80 metres, he gave himself up when an officer threatened to use his taser.
The court heard the victim was left with a fractured nose and collarbone as well as a concussion. In a statement, he said: “The attack was unprovoked, sustained and frightening.
“My children are scared for me and this constant fear has put a strain on our family life.”
Operational football officer PC James Marshall wrote to the court in support of football banning orders, stating: “Genuine supporters should not have to witness these types of violent incidents.”
But in opposition to the banning order, it was put to the court that the assault was unrelated to football.
Carl James alleged that the attack was sparked by an insulting and personal comment made towards his wife, though the victim denies either knowing his attackers or making any such remark.
Magistrate Rob Sassoon said he had decided against a football banning order as the “spark” of the offence was not football-related. “What I will say to you all is that this incident sounds extremely out of character,” he said.
“But I have no doubt in the future that if an incident like this happens anywhere near a football match again, you will not have the benefit of the doubt.”
The father and son were each given a one-year community order including 120 hours of unpaid work.
Magistrates banned them from entering The Red Lion pub for a year and told them each to pay £1,000 in compensation.