Football match tensions carried on with car chase

The incident happened after a summer league match at the KGV last year.

Michael Edwards, 32, of Flat 21, Maison Grue, Mon Plaisir, Green Lanes, St Peter Port, and his nephew, Callum Read, 19, of 10, Millbrook, Estate, St Peter Port, both denied assaulting James Ridout. Mr Read also denied causing criminal damage.

On the morning of the trial, Edwards changed his plea to guilty on the disorderly behaviour charge.

Mr Read was cleared of both charges, but Edwards was found guilty of assault.

Mr Ridout has accepted cautions for assault and criminal damage.

Giving evidence, Mr Ridout said the defendants had spoken to a member of his team and then driven off in a black car. Mr Ridout spoke to the player and found that the defendants were behind him. The two vehicles made a gentle contact a couple of times – Mr Ridout said Edwards had nudged his, while Edwards said Mr Ridout had reversed.

Mr Ridout then drove to the exit and waited to leave, with the defendants behind him. Horns were sounded and Mr Ridout swore out the window.

Mobile phone footage showed Edwards get out the car and forcibly punch Mr Ridout’s van several times, shouting. Mr Ridout reversed several times, on the last occasion hitting the car, before driving off along Rue Cohu.

Mr Ridout said he realised the defendants’ car was behind him again as he drove along Rue du Friquet.

The defendants’ car tried to get past, but Mr Ridout said he stopped them.

‘I thought they were trying to get past and stop the car,’ Mr Ridout said.

‘Stop my car and I did not think they wanted to have a chat with me, guessing how they were. I assessed they were going to pull me over and give me a kicking.’

In interview, Mr Read said his uncle had been speeding to chase after the van and had overtaken several vehicles to catch up. But in court Edwards said he had driven at the speed limit, not overtaken anyone and caught up to Mr Ridout as he had been driving at 15mph. In court Mr Read said he could remember nothing about the journey to Les Baissieres.

Mr Ridout turned into Les Baissieres and the defendants overtook him and he claims they blocedk the road partially . Mr Ridout said he had tried to turn to go back down the road, but then realised he could get past the car.

‘I assessed they were both going to try and get into the car or drag me out,’ he said.

‘My thought was they were going to give me a good hiding.’

He described how Edwards had rolled across the van’s bonnet, while Mr Read came around by the passenger side and punched his hand through the closed window, shattering the glass and causing cuts to Mr Ridout.

But Edwards told the court the Baissieres incident happened very differently. He said he was trying to catch up with Mr Ridout to get his insurance details.

He had overtaken the van, pulling into the side of the road and Mr Ridout had chosen to stop. But when Edwards got out, he said Mr Ridout had tried to run him over. Mr Read said the van had then swerved to try and hit him and he had put his hands up to defend himself, and his hand went through the window.

Mr Ridout then drove off, turning into Footes Lane while calling 999. Realising the black car was behind him again, he drove through red lights, heading towards the police station. Only when he reached Les Rocquettes did the car turn off.

Edwards said he had gone that way, but had not realised he was behind the van.

Police statements said that Mr Ridout had arrived at the station in a distressed state.

Judge Graeme McKerrell said he believed all the people who had given evidence had not told the whole truth. However he noted that the video footage had shown how angry Edwards was and he said he believed Mr Read’s version of events at interview, about his uncle chasing the van down. He added that he was not impressed with Mr Read’s ‘deliberate amnesia’ in court.

He found Edwards guilty of the assault in the Baissieres, stating that he believed the defendant had come out the car and tried the door, while angry.

However he cleared Mr Read, stating that he could not be sure that he had deliberately hit out at the van and hit window intentionally.

For the disorderly matter, Edwards was bound over to be of good behaviour for two years. For the assault, he was fined £800.