A gang of England football fans beat unconscious a Sikh man - and a fellow England fan - in a retail park in Southampton just after England's defeat on penalties against Portugal. The football fans may have thought he was Portuguese.
Left for dead: sickening CCTV attack on Sikh victim by English football fans
29th September 2006
To watch the CCTV footage, go here. Once there, click on the blue writing - found part way through the article - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=407716&in_page_id=1770
Police have released horrifying images of brutal assault on a defenceless man whose only crime was being unlucky enough to be in their path.
No doubt fuelled by booze and angry after England's defeat at the hands of Portugal during the World Cup the gang of men were clearly in the mood for trouble - and they found it.
Crossing the West Quay retail park in Southampton having watched the match at the Leisure World complex across the road, the group were heading towards the city centre.
It is there they happened to meet a 22-year-old Asian man who was also walking across the car park with his brother-in-law after watching the game themselves.
Possibly mistaking him for being Portuguese, the gang singled out the victim and after hurling racial abuse began chasing and attacking him.
Hopelessly outnumbered and now separated from his brother-in-law the 22-year-old was circled, beaten and kicked in the head several times before his body dropped to the ground, unconscious.
Lying there he was kicked twice more before having a lit cigarette thrown on to him and being spat on.
The graphic scenes were captured on CCTV. The camera pans around to see the gang, some bare chested, another wearing an England shirt and another with a St George's flag draped across his back running off before the police arrive.
Witnesses came rushing over to help the victim who lay motionless on the ground for three minutes as paramedics arrived to treat him.
Amazingly the victim, who suffered facial injuries and concussion as a result of the vicious beating, did not need hospital attention.
Investigating officer DC Stuart Pearson said: "Remarkably physically he wasnt too badly injured but mentally it is going to leave a scar on him."
Talking about the attack that is being treated as a racially motivated violent disorder DC Pearson said: "The victim was pleading with them that they were English and they were as upset as they were that England had lost.
"But it fell on deaf ears unfortunately. I would ask for people to come forward and identify these people so they can be brought to justice.
"This was an horrendous attack regardless of race. Whether they attacked him because they thought he was Portuguese or because they were Asian it doesnt really matter.
"It was vicious and entirely unprovoked."
dailymail.co.uk
Left for dead: sickening CCTV attack on Sikh victim by English football fans
29th September 2006
To watch the CCTV footage, go here. Once there, click on the blue writing - found part way through the article - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=407716&in_page_id=1770
Police have released horrifying images of brutal assault on a defenceless man whose only crime was being unlucky enough to be in their path.
No doubt fuelled by booze and angry after England's defeat at the hands of Portugal during the World Cup the gang of men were clearly in the mood for trouble - and they found it.
Crossing the West Quay retail park in Southampton having watched the match at the Leisure World complex across the road, the group were heading towards the city centre.
It is there they happened to meet a 22-year-old Asian man who was also walking across the car park with his brother-in-law after watching the game themselves.
Possibly mistaking him for being Portuguese, the gang singled out the victim and after hurling racial abuse began chasing and attacking him.
Hopelessly outnumbered and now separated from his brother-in-law the 22-year-old was circled, beaten and kicked in the head several times before his body dropped to the ground, unconscious.
Lying there he was kicked twice more before having a lit cigarette thrown on to him and being spat on.
The graphic scenes were captured on CCTV. The camera pans around to see the gang, some bare chested, another wearing an England shirt and another with a St George's flag draped across his back running off before the police arrive.
Witnesses came rushing over to help the victim who lay motionless on the ground for three minutes as paramedics arrived to treat him.
Amazingly the victim, who suffered facial injuries and concussion as a result of the vicious beating, did not need hospital attention.
Investigating officer DC Stuart Pearson said: "Remarkably physically he wasnt too badly injured but mentally it is going to leave a scar on him."
Talking about the attack that is being treated as a racially motivated violent disorder DC Pearson said: "The victim was pleading with them that they were English and they were as upset as they were that England had lost.
"But it fell on deaf ears unfortunately. I would ask for people to come forward and identify these people so they can be brought to justice.
"This was an horrendous attack regardless of race. Whether they attacked him because they thought he was Portuguese or because they were Asian it doesnt really matter.
"It was vicious and entirely unprovoked."
dailymail.co.uk
