Jury sees CCTV of ‘most frightening’ violence as Huddersfield and Millwall fans riot

One police officer described the clashes, which involved bottles and stones being thrown across a busy main road, as ‘’the most frightening experience’’ of his time in the force and the manageress of the Waterloo pub on Wakefield Road, Huddersfield, said she felt physically sick to her stomach.

Bystanders caught up in the early evening violence before the sides’ League One match on April 16 last year described feeling shocked and scared by what they saw as around 60 men fought running battles.

A jury at Bradford Crown Court was today shown CCTV footage of the fighting and missile throwing which began after three minibuses containing Millwall supporters stopped opposite the pub where Huddersfield fans were drinking prior to the Friday night encounter.

In a statement read to the court manageress Joanne Garner described how she had seen some lads gesturing and jeering at a Millwall coach and then 15 minutes later she heard a male voice shout: “They’re here.”

She said there was a mass rush by a group of young men towards the exit door of the pub and she had a terrible feeling that something was going to happen.

She told a man who had armed himself with a pool cue that he was not going out with it but he pushed her away.

The manageress said doors to the pub were then locked and one of the staff brought a family inside.

She said after seeing what happened between the two rival factions she felt physically sick to her stomach.

Prosecutor Bashir Ahmed told the jury that six Millwall supporters and 13 Huddesrfield followers had already pleaded guilty to involvement in the clashes, but Millwall fan Grant Mason, 42, from Beckenham, Kent, went on trial after he denied a charge of violent disorder.

Mason claims that he was defending himself or others, but Mr Ahmed said it was the prosecution’s case that his actions went beyond self defence.

“You will hear how the police were initially significantly out-numbered and how it took the police some time and a great number of officers being deployed before any sort of order could be regained,” said Mr Ahmed.

“It was only when some semblance of order was restored that people from neighbouring businesses and residential properties next to the Waterloo public house and passing motorists were able to come forward and give their evidence of how terrified they had been whilst the violence unfolded and the damage caused to property.”

Mr Ahmed alleged that Mason was involved in a fight with two other males and that he threw one punch causing or assisting in one man going to the ground.

The jury heard details of the statement given by PC Mark Coulson who attended the disturbance in the company of a special constable.

He said he could see two rival groups of about 60 people fighting outside the pub and after a beer glass smashed on the ground near him he immediately activated the emergency button on his radio and requested urgent assistance and other units.

The officer drew his police baton and attempted to get between the groups with the assistance of two other offices.

“Missiles were raining down and they were coming from both sets of males,” he said.

“It was impossible to regain order in this area.”

The officer described striking out with his baton and hitting one male with his stick after the man had kicked another man in the face.

Order was restored after other police units arrived on the scene and a pool cue was among the items later recovered from the glass-strewn area outside the pub.

The officer, who had been in the force for nine years, said it was the most hostile environment he had encountered adding: “This is the most frightening experience of my service.”

The trial continues.