NEED ADVICE! girlfriend hurt at a premeirship football match ......

eidur9

Hi. . . .
Im wondering if anyone can give me some advice on whether its worthwhile taking this any further.
For christmas i bought my parents tickets for a premeirship football match to give them a taste of the atmosphere my girlfriend and I enjoy so much. Anyway the short version is, our seats were right next to the away fans who were cordened off by six stewards and a three seat gap in the seating between us and them. Our team came back to win the game in the last minute and our fans were goading the away supporters, at which point one young man ran through without being challenged by a steward throwing punches in our vacinity, while we were not his intended targets we were caught up in the mass push by home fans to punch him. The next I knew of it my girlfriend had been pushed over the seats infront and onto the concrete floor, her leg was caught between chairs and people were clambering over her to get to the idiot fan. Her main injury was to her knee (with which she has a pre-existing problem) with swelling and problems walking made even harder than usual and her stomach was slighly painful from someone standing on it.
I am not someone who would normally consider claiming but I am angry it was allowed to happen, and that the stewards made no effort to arrest the man eventhough I had him in a headlock and gave him to a steward they let him go !

hope you guys offer advice on how to proceed,

appologies for the longwindedness(if thats a word).....

cheers eidur9

pinkshoes

I would write to the football club in question (sending recorded delivery), describing the incident, the poor actions of the stewards, and ask them why they only separate home and away fans by 3 chairs if the stewards aren't trained to intervene and prevent violence.

Did anyone help your g/f after she was injured?

You'll probably get some free tickets out of the club, perhaps with hospitality included.

hollydays

What was the stewards explaination?
Technically it sounds like you arrested him.Did you know what offence you were arresting him for?
I think i would get legal advice before writing to the football club and putting yourself in the frame.
In order to arrest someone lawfully,there needs to be a power of arrest for that offence.
Did your girlfriend go to hospital,or the doctors?

eidur9

She was seen by St John ambulance staff and then the club doctor they advised rest and a visit to her gp if it remained swollen.

I cant see how it would be deemed in anyway a wrongful citizens arrest when he was throwing fists in our direction, It was self defence and i probably saved the guy from a good kicking. It would probably be on camera aswell being such a high profile game.


cheers for the replies,

hollydays

.So what were you arresting him for? That's what a court would be wanting to know. You weren't perfectly clear,you said he was throwing punches in your vicinity in your post,but you were not his intended target,so self defence isn't exactly relevant? I am not attacking you,rather trying to assist you.I would just be concerned,given we don't know all the facts,that you don't leave yourself open to claims that you didn't have a power of arrest,or you didn't use reasonable force.Get legal advice first.

hollydays

eidur9 wrote: »

She was seen by St John ambulance staff and then the club doctor they advised rest and a visit to her gp if it remained swollen.

I cant see how it would be deemed in anyway a wrongful citizens arrest when he was throwing fists in our direction, It was self defence and i probably saved the guy from a good kicking. It would probably be on camera aswell being such a high profile game.


cheers for the replies,

Presumably the incident has been logged in their health and safety book? And your details taken?

woohoo_postingid

You should have battered the stupid tw@ while you had the chance !

eidur9

hollydays wrote: »

Ok.So what offence were you arresting him for? That's what a court would be wanting to know? You weren't perfectly clear,you said he was throwing punches in your vicinity in your post.I am not attacking you,rather trying to assist you.

I wasnt arresting anybody I was dragging him away from the home fans after he and jumped into our section trying to hit us indiscriminately because had he got anyfurther my girlfriend would definatley been crushed severely. My point is that surely its the stewards role to restrain people trying to assault others, and then detain them for the police rather than not wanting to get involved and allowing him to scarper.

oh and yes they have it all on record in the club doctors office/surgery. Im not interested in money its more about letting them know how annoyed I am my gf nearly got seriously hurt because of lazy security and im not sure an angry letter will be enough.

thanks for the advice....

hollydays

IF you got someone in a headlock-trust me,you HAVE arrested them,well you have two choices-either you arrested him,or you assaulted him.Maybe the stewards aren't sufficiently trained to do this sort of thing,they are just there for safety,not security? Maybe they are told not to take hold of people?

If I was in your position,I would get legal advice,saying you took hold of the man to prevent a breach of the peace occurring,( and presumably he must have been struggling violently for you to get him in a headlock?),I think you have the power to arrest him for that.It may be assault too,but I am not sure how you stand there as a member of the public,as he's not yet hit anyone.If you can be sure that getting him in a headlock was justified,and your legal adviser agrees,you could write to the club asking why the stewards did not arrest him,or summon the police.In addition,why the segregation and security was so poor (if this is not standard?)

I don't understand though,by your account, why the doctor did not immediately log this as a criminal offence?And get it reported to the POlice? It doesn't add up.I would have thought if you explained it to the doctor the way you have here ,he would have been obliged to log it,as criminal,and if he didn't why?

Ivory_Tinkler

I think a citizens arrest is only a proper citizens arrest if the person who has been "arrested" is handed over to the police. The steward at the ground would have as much legal power as the OP so if the person was let free without been handed over to the police then no arrest took place.

hollydays

That's not correct.Didn't want to get technical,but the definition of arrest is "The taking or restraining of a person from his liberty,so that he can answer an alleged offence".He got him in a headlock,and tried to hand him over to the stewards,but they (stupidly?) let him go-that's an arrest.It's irrelevant whether the police get there or not (sometimes people escape while a citizens arrest is being carried out,but it was still an arrest).Ivory tinkler,if that was the case,anyone could just get anyone in a headlock..with no consequences.