Football pub louts lose their appeals
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
By George Jackson
Two of the four football supporters jailed last month when they admitted their involvement in disturbances at a bar in derry failed yesterday in their appeal against sentencing.
Affirming the sentence imposed at the lower court by Resident Magistrate Barney McElholm on October 10, Judge Philip Babington yesterday described the appellants’ actions as “deliberate and cowardly”.
Dubliners Evan Kane, (20), from Upper Dorset Street and Gavin James Hanly, (22), a security company employee from McKee Park, were jailed for three months along with co-defendants Francis O’Reilly, (29), a local authority employee from Clonturk Park and Brian Shannon, (20), of Ventry Drive, Cabra.
All four admitted charges of riotous behaviour at the Tavern Bar, in the Loyalist Fountain Estate on October 9.
O’Reilly and Shannon decided not to appeal against the sentence and they’re currently serving their sentences in prison.
All four had travelled to Derry for the League Cup final between Derry City and Bohemians. At the appeal hearing yesterday, defence barrister Gordon Talbot said the appellants Hanly and Kane, both of whom had clear criminal records, deeply regretted their actions.
Dismissing the appeal, Judge Babington said the appellants had caused several thousand pounds of criminal damage during an attack in which three people were injured and “must realise you just can’t damage a public house in this way”.
Hanly was then imprisoned in Maghaberry Prison and Kane placed in Hydebank Young Offender’s Centre.