Football hooligans jailed for West Bromwich attack
An innocent by-stander was left unconscious.
Last updated 29th Sep 2023
Two Wolverhampton men who left an innocent passer-by unconscious in a West Bromwich street have been jailed.
Nathan Pearce and Steven Walter were heading into the town as part of a pre-arranged football fight.
They launched their attack in High Street after lying in wait in a side street just before a match between West Brom and Birmingham City at The Hawthorns.
The pair, who were already known to us as suspected Wolves football hooligans, waited there for eight minutes until spotting two men leaving the Great Lion pub, which had Baggies fans inside, at around 7pm on October 15, 2021.
They chased off one of the men before punching and kicking their victim, knocking him to the ground.
Walters stamped on his head and Pearce hit him with a bottle, causing blunt force trauma to his head.
Both attackers then walked away leaving him unconscious on the ground.
The man has since been able to recover from his injuries.
Walters, aged 36, of Perry Avenue, Low Hill and Pearce, aged 28, of Woden Avenue, Wednesfield, pleaded guilty to wounding.
They were both jailed for four years and given an eight-year football banning order at Wolverhampton Crown Court, last Friday (22 Sept).
Inspector Richard Cox of the Force Football Unit, said:
"There is no place in football, or society as a whole, for violence like this.
"During the court hearing Pearce and Walters stated they had gone to the town as part of a pre-organised football fight arranged with West Bromwich Albion risk supporters.
"They came out of the side street expecting a large number in the group and attacked the man, an innocent bystander, who was walking between pubs.
"These sentences should serve as a warning that we will not tolerate such violence and we will always work to identify those who sadly do still think it is acceptable and bring them before the courts."