Millwall fan Andrew Lewis gets two years for assault on Nottingham Forest fan Paul O'Donnell

A Millwall fan has been sent to prison for two years at Leicester Crown Court for assaulting a rival Nottingham Forest fan, who later died.

Andrew Lewis, 50, of Wickham Road, Bromley, admitted grievous bodily harm on 56-year-old Paul O’Donnell on August 4 last year.

He denied manslaughter and a not guilty verdict was returned after the prosecution offered no evidence on that charge.

Prosecutor Miss Miranda Moore told the court a jury would have been asked to consider whether injuries resulting from the assault led to Mr O’Donnell’s death two weeks later.

She said experts agreed the injury from which Mr O’Donnell died could have been acquired by a healthy person falling down stairs.

“The conclusion is it is unsafe for me to seek a prosecution for manslaughter,” she said

Miss Moore said the offence had happened before the opening game of the Championship season between Forest and Millwall.

Mr O’Donnell, of Smith Street, Balderton, known as Ducksy, had been waiting for his son when a coach of Millwall fans, including Lewis, arrived.

“They were seen to exchange words,” she said. “At one point Mr O’Donnell looked away and was punched, connecting with his head and falling to the floor.”

Mr O’Donnell was taken to the Queen's Medical Centre with a fractured skull and bleeding.

He was discharged on August 7, but his partner Kimberley Dempsey said he suffered severe headaches, memory loss, felt very sick and lost a stone in weight.

Miss Moore said Mr O’Donnell had gone out on August 18 to celebrate a family birthday and had suffered an accident at home later, when he fell down the stairs, from which he never recovered.

In his police interview Lewis said he had drunk seven pints before arriving in Nottingham.

Mr Matthew Sherratt, defending, said Lewis had been very remorseful in his police interview.

“There was no premeditation,” he said.

“It was one punch and then he moved away.

“He is deeply ashamed. He let himself down. He has let his family down.”

Passing sentence the judge, Mr Gregory Dickinson, the Recorder of Nottingham, said: “When you punched out and hit Mr O’Donnell he was not looking.

“He was no threat, he did not see the blow coming.”

He banned Lewis from football matches played in England and Wales for six years.

Afterwards Kimberley told the Advertiser she had received wonderful support from friends and family.

“I am relieved it is all over and I am fairly happy with the outcome,” she said.

Kimberley said she would always remember Ducksy, a father-of-two, as "witty and very loving."