CCTV shows the moment a youth boxing event turned into a “battle zone” when an armed crowd arrived in a convoy of vehicles. The group of around 60 people arrived in 13 vehicles at the family event in the Warwickshire village of Ryton, on the border with Coventry.
They entered the venue and targeted a small group of men inside, starting a mass brawl that lasted 20 minutes. The incident took place at a sports centre in February 2020 and prompted a major investigation from multiple police forces, including Warwickshire Police, the Metropolitan Police and Thames Valley Police.
The Warwickshire force said on July 24 that 23 men had been convicted, some of whom were sentenced to more than 48 years in prison in total. The violence broke out as a national amateur junior boxing championship was being held at a sports centre in Ryton on February 15, 2020, BirminghamLive reports. After chairs were thrown and people were assaulted, the 26 men returned from the boots of their vehicles with weapons including pickaxe handles, axes, knives and shovels.
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Warwickshire Police said members of a smaller group were cornered in a pub while the large crowd tried to get at them. The mass attack took place in front of 300 members of the public, including children and their families competing in the event.
The venue was badly damaged and the event was shut down. One victim was thrown to the ground and kicked, punched and slashed, leaving her with facial injuries that required stitches.
Warwickshire Police said more than 30 suspects had been identified, the majority from the London and Buckinghamshire area. The Crown Prosecution Service later authorised 29 men to be charged with violent disorder, with some also charged with assault occasioning grievous bodily harm and a range of weapons offences.
A number of convictions have been made in a number of cases over the past year, with a number of sentencing decisions handed down this month. Detective Constable Middleton said: “This was a brazen, outrageous incident which resulted in people being injured and which will cause great distress to hundreds of members of the public who had gone to a venue simply to enjoy a sporting event.”
“It boggles my mind, and the rest of the team involved in this investigation, how any member of this group could have possibly managed to turn a public space into a war zone.”
“This was a huge undertaking and I welcome the sentences handed down. Everyone involved in this ridiculous, dangerous behaviour now has plenty of time to reflect on their actions, whether that’s doing unpaid work or sitting in a prison cell.”
“The message is clear: there is no safety in numbers for people involved in violent disorder. Act like this in our communities and we will meet with you.”
23 men convicted
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Larry McCarthy, 30, of Colne Park Caravan Site in West Drayton, London, was sentenced to 40 months in prison after pleading guilty to violent disorder, assault and possession of a knife.
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Anthony McDonagh, 29, of Colne Park Caravan Site in West Drayton, London, was sentenced to 44 months in prison after pleading guilty to violent disorder, assault and possession of a knife.
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Declan McDonagh, 23, of Colne Park Caravan Site in West Drayton, London, was sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to violent disorder, assault and possession of an offensive weapon.
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William McDonagh, aged 36, of Pendles Paddock, Stokenchurch, Buckinghamshire, was sentenced to 42 months in prison after pleading guilty to violent disorder, assault and possession of a knife.
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Denis Murphy, 43, of Golborne Road, London, was sentenced to 28 months in prison after pleading guilty to violent disorder and possessing an offensive weapon.
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Francis O’Donnell, 24, of Lynton Close, London, pleaded guilty to violent disorder and possession of a bladed article. He was sentenced to 33 months in prison.
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Simon G. O’Donnell Snr, 43, of Stable Way, London, pleaded guilty to violent disorder and possession of an offensive weapon. He was sentenced to 30 months in prison.
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Simon O’Donnell Jr., 22, of Stable Way, London, was sentenced to 30 months in prison after pleading guilty to violent disorder.
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Charles Ward, 47, of Pendles Paddock, Stokenchurch, Buckinghamshire, was sentenced to 25 months in prison after pleading guilty to violent disorder and possession of a knife, having previously served five months on remand.
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Patrick Corcoran, 35, of Pendles Paddock, Stokenchurch, Buckinghamshire, pleaded guilty to violent disorder and possession of an offensive weapon. He was sentenced to 27 months in prison.
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Martin J McDonagh, 35, of Burnhill Close, London, was found guilty of violent disorder and sentenced to 29 months in prison.
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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 absentia to four years in prison.
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Richard O’Donnell, 33, of Stable Way, London, pleaded guilty to violent disorder and possession of an offensive weapon. He was sentenced to 28 months in prison.
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Edward McDonagh, 35, of Colne Park Caravan Site in West Drayton, London, was sentenced to 44 months in prison after pleading guilty to violent disorder, assault and two counts of possessing an offensive weapon.
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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 sentenced to 40 months in prison.
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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 sentenced to 30 months in prison.
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Anthony T. O’Donnell, aged 29, of Middle Ground, Wheatley, Oxfordshire, was found guilty of violent disorder and sentenced to 32 months in prison.
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Anthony O’Donnell, 34, of Old Maidstone Road, Sidcup, Kent, was given a 22-month prison sentence suspended for two years after being found guilty of causing violent disorder.
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Simon G. O’Donnell, 36, of Stable Way, London, was found guilty of breaching Section 4 of the Public Order Act, which involves threatening words and behaviour. He was given a four-month prison sentence, suspended for a year, and 100 hours unpaid work.
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Jason O’Donnell, 35, of Stable Way, London, was found guilty of breaching Section 4 of the Public Order Act, which involves threatening words and behaviour. He was sentenced to three months in prison, suspended for a year, and given 100 hours of unpaid work.
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Daniel North, 37, of Bramley Road, London, was found guilty of breaching Section 4 of the Public Order Act, which involves threatening words and behaviour. He was given a three-month prison sentence suspended for one year and 80 hours unpaid work.
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Simon C. O’Donnell, 37, of Stable Way, London, was found guilty of breaching Section 4 of the Public Order Act, which involves using threatening words and behaviour. He was given a 12-month community service order with 70 hours of unpaid work.
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Brian O’Donnell, 46, of Stable Way, London, was found guilty of breaching Section 4 of the Public Order Act, which involves using threatening words and behaviour. He was given a 12-month community service order and 80 hours of unpaid work.