Two men appear in court charged with manslaughter after death of footballer
Non-league Matlock Town player Jordan Sinnott died on Saturday.
Two men have been remanded into custody after appearing in court charged with the manslaughter of a non-league footballer.
Matlock Town FC midfielder Jordan Sinnott died in hospital on Saturday after suffering a suspected fractured skull in an alleged assault in the centre of Retford at about 2am.
Cameron Matthews, 21, of Denman Close, and Kai Denovan, 22, of Collins Walk, both Retford, were also charged with affray and common assault.
All three men appeared at Mansfield Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday.
Matthews, wearing a grey sweatshirt, and Nicholson, wearing a blue tracksuit top, were both tearful in the dock as they spoke only to confirm their names, addresses and dates of birth.
Denovan, wearing a grey sweatshirt and grey jogging bottoms, showed no emotion as he stepped into the dock around 30 minutes after his co-accused.
Officers were called to help ambulance crews who were attempting to treat 25-year-old Mr Sinnott, after he was found unconscious in the town’s Market Place.
Despite the best efforts of medics, he died in hospital on Saturday evening.
Mr Sinnott’s family said: “Just before 6pm on January 25 our hearts were completely broken when we said our goodbyes to Jordan.
“Jordan was the love of our life. He was kind, gentle, funny and lived his life to the full each and every day.
“He was a true gentleman.
“He absolutely loved his football and from an early age we knew he was determined and driven to succeed.
“Nothing will ever be the same again without Jordan in our lives. It will leave a void that can never be filled.
“He was taken from us far too soon and no amount of time will make this easier.
“The response we have had from family, friends and the public has been overwhelming and as a family we cannot thank each and every one of you enough.
“Jordan touched so many hearts in his life and will leave behind a legacy.”
Detective Chief Inspector Rob Routledge, who is leading the investigation, said: “I would like to thank the public again for their response to our appeals, and I continue to encourage anyone who saw anything on Saturday night to come forward.
“Even the smallest detail could be vital to our investigation, so please speak to us if you know something about what happened.”
Anyone with information or video footage of the incident is asked to call police on 101, contact officers online, or ring Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Mr Sinnott’s brother Tom, paying tribute to his younger sibling, said: “There’s not enough words to describe him.
“Out of everyone, he was the best person I’d ever known.”
Meanwhile, an appeal for clubs around the country to send shirts bearing Mr Sinnott’s name, for display at his funeral, had “snowballed”, he added.
Premier League, Scottish and non-league clubs are all planning to send shirts, which are to be donated to Sports Relief.
Matthews, Denovan and Nicholson were remanded into custody to appear at Nottingham Crown Court on February 26.
