Mass brawl turned boxing event into warzone - police

A group of men who started a violent mass brawl that turned a boxing tournament "into a warzone" have been sentenced in court, with the majority handed prison terms.

Twenty-three men were convicted following the disorder that saw axes wielded at a sports hall in Ryton-on-Dunsmore, Warwickshire, on 15 February 2020.

They were part of a group of nearly 60 people who pulled up to the site in a convoy of 13 vehicles while the national amateur junior boxing championship was taking place.

They then targeted a smaller group, initiating disorder that lasted for about 20 minutes, Warwickshire Police said.

Chairs were thrown, cars were smashed and people were attacked with weapons, which included knives, spades and axes.

One person was left needing stitches after he was slashed with a blade, and extensive damage was caused to the venue, police said.

Following an investigation in 2020 and 2021, 29 men were charged and trials were held throughout 2023.

Twenty-three of those men - mainly from London and Buckinghamshire - were sentenced at Warwick Crown Court this month and the hearings concluded on 18 July.

Det Con Middleton, of Warwickshire Police, said: “This was a brazen, outrageous incident that saw people injured and would have caused huge distress to hundreds of members of the public who had simply attended a venue to enjoy a sporting event.

“Why any member of this group thought they would get away with turning a public venue into a warzone is beyond both me and the rest of the team who took part in this investigation.”

Seventeen of the men have been jailed, with terms ranging from a year and 10 months to four years.

The others were handed suspended prison sentences and community orders.

• Larry McCarthy, 30, of Colne Park Caravan Site, West Drayton, Greater London, was jailed for 40 months after pleading guilty to violent disorder, assault and possession of a knife.
• Anthony McDonagh, 29, of Colne Park Caravan Site, West Drayton, Greater London, was jailed for 44 months after pleading guilty to violent disorder, assault and possession of a knife.
• Declan McDonagh, 23, of Colne Park Caravan Site, West Drayton, Greater London, was jailed for three years after pleading guilty to violent disorder, assault and possession of an offensive weapon.
• William McDonagh, 36, of Pendles Paddock, Stokenchurch, Buckinghamshire, was jailed for 42 months after pleading guilty to violent disorder, assault and possession of knife.
• Denis Murphy, 43, of Golborne Road, London, was jailed for 28 months after pleading guilty to violent disorder and possession of an offensive weapon.
• Francis O’Donnell, 24, of Lynton Close, London, pleaded guilty to violent disorder and to possession of a bladed article. He was jailed for 33 months.
• Simon G. O’Donnell Snr, 43, of Stable Way, London, pleaded guilty to violent disorder and possession of an offensive weapon. He was jailed for 30 months.
• Simon O’Donnell Jnr, 22, of Stable Way, London, was jailed for 30 months after pleading guilty to violent disorder.
• Charles Ward, 47, of Pendles Paddock, Stokenchurch, Buckinghamshire, was jailed for 25 months after pleading guilty to violent disorder and possession of a knife.
• Patrick Corcoran, 35, of Pendles Paddock, Stokenchurch, Buckinghamshire, pleaded guilty to violent disorder and possession of an offensive weapon. He was jailed for 27 months.
• Martin J. McDonagh, 35, of Burnhill Close, London, pleaded guilty to violent disorder. He was jailed for 29 months.
• Michael O’Donnell, 26, of Hadrian Way, Staines-upon-Thames, was found guilty of violent disorder and possession of a bladed article. He was sentenced in his absence to four years' imprisonment.
• Richard O’Donnell, 33, of Stable Way, London, pleaded guilty to violent disorder and possession of an offensive weapon. He was jailed for 28 months.
• Edward McDonagh, 35, of Colne Park Caravan Site, West Drayton, Greater London was jailed for 44 months after pleading guilty to violent disorder, assault and two counts of possession of an offensive weapon.
• Martin G. McDonagh, 41, of Colne Park Caravan Site, West Drayton, Greater London, pleaded guilty to violent disorder, possession of an offensive weapon, and possession of a bladed article. He was jailed for 40 months.
• Steven McDonagh, 37, of Colne Park Caravan Site, West Drayton, Greater London, pleaded guilty to violent disorder and possession of an offensive weapon. He was jailed for 30 months.
• Anthony T. O’Donnell, 29, of Middle Ground, Wheatley, Oxfordshire, was jailed for 32 months after being found guilty of violent disorder at trial.
• Anthony O’Donnell, 34, of Old Maidstone Road, Sidcup, Kent, was given a 22-month prison sentence suspended for two years after pleading guilty to violent disorder.
• Simon G. O’Donnell, 36, of Stable Way, London, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 4 of the Public Order Act concerning threatening words and behaviour. He was given a sentence of four months' imprisonment, suspended for one year, along with 100 hours of unpaid work.
• Jason O’Donnell, 35, of Stable Way, London, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 4 of the Public Order Act concerning threatening words and behaviour. He was sentenced to three months' imprisonment, suspended for one year, and 100 hours of unpaid work.
• Daniel North, 37, of Bramley Road, London, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 4 of the Public Order Act concerning threatening words and behaviour. He has been given a sentence of three months' imprisonment, suspended for one year, along with 80 hours of unpaid work.
• Simon C. O’Donnell, 37, of Stable Way, London, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 4 of the Public Order Act concerning threatening words and behaviour. He has been sentenced to a 12-month community order with 70 hours of unpaid work.
• Brian O’Donnell, 46, of Stable Way, London, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 4 of the Public Order Act concerning threatening words and behaviour. He was sentenced to a 12-month community order and 80 hours of unpaid work.

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