Southend: Manslaughter charges over death of Simon Dobbin

Detectives investigating the death of Simon Dobbin have secured manslaughter charges against 12 men.

On 21 March 2015 Simon travelled to Southend to watch his beloved Cambridge United play Southend United.

After the match, Simon was subjected to a sustained and violent attack, and which left him with injuries that changed his life.

Following the attack, and due to the injuries he had sustained, Simon received 24-hour care from his family.

Sadly, in October 2020, Simon died.

Today, we can confirm the Crown Prosecution Service has authorised manslaughter charges against 12 men.

They are:

• Greg Allen, 37, of Wellington Avenue, Westcliff
• Ryan Carter, 30, of HMP - The Mount
• Jamie Chambers, 33, of Southchurch Avenue, Southend
• Lewis Courtnell, 43, of Pall Mall, Leigh-on-Sea
• Philip McGill, 40, of Hornby Avenue, Westcliff
• Scott Nicholls, 49, of Little Spenders, Basildon
• Matthew Petchey, 35, of Pollards Close, Rochford
• Rhys Pullen, 29, of Lysander Grove, Maldon
• Thomas Randall, 31, of Grand Parade, Leigh-on-Sea
• Michael Shawyer, 40, of Edinburgh Avenue, Leigh-On-Sea
• Alexander Woods, 33, of First Avenue, Westcliff
• James Woods, 33, of The Green, Nawton, York

All 12 are due to appear at Colchester Magistrates' Court on Tuesday 31 March.

Detective Superintendent Stephen Jennings said:

“This is a significant milestone in an extremely complex investigation, and comes as the result of the professionalism, dedication, and hard work from a team of highly skilled officers and staff.
“Investigations such as these are challenging and can take time, it has required hundreds of hours of painstaking work to get to this stage.
“Throughout this time we have worked closely with the Crown Prosecution Service.
“Simon’s case is one that has evoked a great deal of emotion, but I would ask people to be mindful about commentary to ensure those charged are able to have a fair trial.
“I want to thank Simon’s family - his wife Nicole and daughter Emily - for their patience and unwavering support for our team.”