The wife of Simon Dobbin, a Cambridge United fan who died five years after being brutally attacked by football hooligans, has called for his assailants to face murder charges. Nicole Dobbin, 50, described the men as 'utter thugs' who stamped on her husband's head, leaving him brain-damaged.
Mr Dobbin, 48, from Mildenhall, Suffolk, was attacked in March 2015 after watching Cambridge draw against Southend United. He suffered permanent brain damage, broken ribs, and a broken nose, and was left unable to walk or talk. He died in October 2020, and a post-mortem examination found a causal link between the assault and his death.
Thirteen men were convicted in 2017 for their roles in the attack, but only three received maximum sentences of five years. By mid-2020, all had been released after serving half their sentences. Nicole Dobbin said: 'If you stamp on someone's head for 90 seconds then your intention is to kill. They took Simon's life.'
Essex Police have reopened their investigation and are working to determine if new charges, including murder, can be brought. Nicole Dobbin added: 'I'd like to see them charged with murder and conspiracy to murder. They all knew what was going on.'
