Nine men have been given prison sentences arising out of a mass brawl at Goodwood racecourse in May last year, which led to an oft-delayed court case that finally ended on Tuesday. A total of 11 defendants pleaded guilty to a range of offences in connection with the 30-man fight, described in court as a stag-do gone wrong, which lasted for around 10 minutes and shocked spectators on the busy spring Saturday.
Sentences were handed to nine of those involved at a previously unreported hearing in August, after they accepted charges of violent disorder. Eight were given custodial sentences ranging from eight months up to two years – in the case of James Whitlock, a 27-year-old from Southampton, who was caught in footage of the incident delivering a kick to the head of a man who was lying on the ground. The ninth man was given a suspended six-month sentence.
The case was finally wound up on Tuesday when the crown decided to accept guilty pleas to lesser charges from the two remaining defendants, after their trial had been postponed twice because of a shortage of court time. Kyle Binns, 27, from Southampton, was given a four-month sentence for affray while Leslie Sharp, 50, from Gosport, was fined £500 for common assault and ordered to pay another £500 in victim compensation.
Judge Robert Fraser accepted, after viewing CCTV footage, that Sharp had spent much of the fight “trying to calm things down” but then, after the brawl had gravitated towards an exit gate, had thrown a single punch at a security guard. The guard dropped to his knees and was then, the judge said, knocked unconscious by a kick from Sharp’s 28-year-old son, Tyrone, who was given a 20-month sentence in August. According to Sharp’s barrister, father and son were at Goodwood that day as part of Tyrone Sharp’s stag do.
Binns’ barrister argued for a suspended sentence on the grounds that he was “effectively a man of good character” caught up in an isolated incident, who had remained on the periphery of the fight for most of the time. But the judge told Binns: “You can be seen very clearly to give a kick to that man’s torso,” referring to a participant in the fight who had been trying to get off the ground.
Addressing both men, the judge said: “Your convictions arise out of an appalling level of violence at Goodwood racecourse, a major incident on any view. It is quite clear that the collective actions of those involved caused distress to the public. What they experienced was a number of you engaging in a significant outbreak of violence.”
He noted that Sussex police had had to deploy “substantial resources” at the scene and in the subsequent investigation, which eventually led to arrests in August last year, three months after the event. The judge said “a large amount of alcohol had been consumed” by those involved. He added that some of the defendants appeared to be supporters of Portsmouth and Southampton football clubs but did not find that the fighting was football-related.
Four people, including at least one of those convicted, were taken to hospital as a result of the fight. All were subsequently discharged.
A week after the Goodwood fight, a similar brawl broke out during a raceday at Ascot, prompting many tracks to ramp up their security measures for Saturday fixtures that summer. A 15-man fight broke out at Haydock in February.
The British Horseracing Authority announced that it had banned all 11 of the convicted men from the sport for an indefinite period, with a minimum of three years. This means they will not be permitted to enter racecourses or racing stables, and licensed personnel are prohibited from discussing the sport with them.
Chris Watts, head of integrity for the BHA, said: “A day at the races is a fun, safe and relaxing day out that is suitable for all the family. The sport will not tolerate any incidents of serious anti-social behaviour and, in this case, gratuitous violence. On the very rare occasions when it does occur we will work collaboratively with the police and the racecourses to ensure that the appropriate action is taken against the individuals involved.”
Adam Waterworth, managing director of sport at Goodwood racecourse, said: “We are delighted that the evidence we provided has helped secure an appropriately serious sentence for the perpetrators of this incident. We take a zero-tolerance stance on anti-social behaviour here at Goodwood, and to support this, we installed an extensive CCTV network across the course a few years ago, which helped us provide clear footage to Sussex Police of the incident.
“This sends out a strong message to the public – anti-social behaviour is not welcome at Goodwood, and we will continue to be vigilant so racegoers can enjoy the best possible experience when they come racing with us.”
