A judge slammed a Facebook page which glorifies football violence as she handed five-year banning orders to four thugs whose exploits in Marseilles had been posted there.
District judge Amanda Kelly said she was horrified by the Hoolingans TV page, which posts videos and pictures of fights at football matches.
One video showed Liam Shorten, Jack Copland Slowey, Charles Haig and Robert Kilhams brawling with Marseilles fans in the street, throwing punches, bottles and flares.
Ms Kelly said: “I’m told that the video footage of your violent actions has been uploaded onto a Facebook page which celebrates yobbery.
“I’m horrified that there are Facebook pages that are glorifying this behaviour whether it’s at home or abroad.
“The message has to go outloudly and clearly that this behaviour won’t be tolerated and peope who indulge in it will be banned.”
The video, released today by Sussex Police, was shown at a hearing at Brighton Magistrates Court last Thursday at which Sussex Police requested football banning orders for the fourthugs.
Only one, Kilhams, attended the hearing, and claimed that he was not the man seen in the footage.
He said: “It’s all circumstantial. It looks like me but the simple fact is that it’s not.”
Kilhams admitted he hadn’t had a ticket for the match when he travelled to Marseilles.
PC Sam Smith said when police first became aware of the footage on Hooligans TV, they couldn’t identify Kilhams. But they subsequently saw another piece in which the same group were filmed outside the Queen Victoria bar, in which you could clearly see their faces.
He said he was also familiar with Kilhams from his experience of policing football events in Brighton, adding: “He’s come to police attention numerous times in relation to football related disorder over the last ten years.”
Chris Wilkinson, for Sussex Police, said: “PC Sam Smith has met Robert Kilhams. It’s fair for him to pick him out of whatever footage having seen him on the screen.
“Given the fact Shorten’s also present and has been identified – it’s a jigsaw effect which enables PC Smith to be able to identify him.”
Ms Kelly agreed the orders for all four: Shorten, 30, of Old Shoreham Road, Southwick, Copland Slowey, 32, of Mayfield Avenue, Peacehaven, Haig, 28, of Downland Avenue, Peacehaven and Kilhams, 36, of Trinity Way, Littlehampton.
Each order last for five years, and means they cannot go into an exclusion area around the Amex Stadium for six hours before or four hours after any Brghton and Hove Albion home match.
They must also not go within five miles of any stadium hosting an away game on days for six hours before and three hours after.
And they must not enter the town or city in the UK where England are playing for eight hours before or eight hours after the game.
All four were ordered to pay Sussex Police’s court costs, landing them with a court bill of £1736.56 each.
Shorten was previously given a similar three-year banning order in 2016 after violence between England fans before their game against Russia in Euro 2016.
Ms Kelly also gave a three-year banning order to Tomasso Tizzano, 53, of Highbank, Brighton after hearing he pushed over a man on crutches and headbutted his son in a row over a seat at the match in Marseilles.
Appearing for Sussex Police, Chris Wilkinson said: “The son told police a clearly drunk man was being being aggressive to him over where they were siting.
“He tried to explain his dad was on crutches. Tizzano responded by saying fight me. He knocked the dad to the floor and headbutted the son.”
Appearing for Tizzano, Mark Charnley said Tizzano has been going to Albion matches since he was four with his dad, now 70, and more recently with his six-year-old son.
He said: “He regrets his actions and is deeply embarassed.”
He was given a three-year ban on the same terms as the other defendants, and ordered to pay £226 in costs.
“I’m horrified that there are Facebook pages that are glorifying this behaviour whether it’s at home or abroad.”
er …but marches in Brighton promoting violence in the Middle East are fine along with the Russophobia and Ukraine flags (its almost like they think only Ukranian children get killed! )!
Marches in Brighton are requesting a ceasefire you utter clown so hardly ‘promoting violence’!!
I’m impressed by the way they’ve defended themselves against the spasmodic onslaught of the French cowards.
What are they expected to do when they’re attacked in this way. You can see the Frenchies cowardly way of trying to stick the boot in but only when they know there’s no risk to them. Hats off to you boys, you have my utmost respect.