Exclusive
WIFE'S AGONY
Wife of DIY SOS footie fan Simon Dobbin says ‘murder’ makes her ‘sick’ & hopes new arrests will see ‘justice done’
THE devastated wife of a football fan who died more than five years after he was attacked at a match has told of her relief after cops arrested five murder suspects.
Nicole Dobbin, 51, said she wants "justice" after her husband, Cambridge Utd supporter Simon, was left severely brain damaged in a savage beating by hooligans.
8
8
8
Mr Dobbin was returning home from an away game in Southend, Essex in March 2015 when he was battered and kicked "like a football".
The dad, who later appeared on BBC show DIY SOS, was left unable to walk or talk. He died at home in Mildenhall, Suffolk on October 21, 2020 at the age of just 41.
Cops announced today that they've arrested five people on suspicion of murder after medical tests showed a "direct, causal" link between his death and the injuries he sustained.
The suspects - who are aged 27, 30, 34, 39 and 45 - were arrested at addresses across south Essex this morning. They remain in custody.
Read more on UK news
Nicole, who married Simon in 1998 after they met in a nightclub, told Sun Online: "Hopefully, there will be justice for Simon finally."
In 2017, 13 men were convicted for their part in the assault. Jurors at Basildon Crown Court convicted nine men of violent disorder, three of conspiracy to commit violent disorder and one for assisting an offender.
Three of the men were given the maximum five-year sentence for violent disorder.
But Nicole said: "We struggled to come to terms with the initial trial as a family.
Most read in The Sun
"We felt that the justice system had let us and Simon down.";
She said the family feels "up in the air at the moment".
"We don't know what's going to happen, we're hoping to finally get justice for Simon," she said.
"It's just the whole court case situation and listening to it all again makes me feel physically sick.
"We don't have closure."
Police told the family in advance that arrests would be made, although they don't know the identities of those arrested.
"Essex Police have worked so hard to try to get justice for Simon. Our heartfelt thanks go out to them," Nicole said.
WIFE'S DEVASTATION
Both she and 23-year-old daughter Emily, a trained paramedic, are "over the moon"; that the suspects are in custody this afternoon.
Nicole, an Aldi store assistant, said: "My daughter was 16 when this happened and she was going through her exams.
"She had to retake a year of sixth form but after everything she had to struggle through she's done so well.
"She's over the moon that we will finally get justice for Simon."
Detective Superintendent Stephen Jennings, of the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, said this morning: "Nicole and Emily have been kept updated on our progress every step of the way.
"Simon was a completely innocent party in the disorder that took place that day and his family have been through an unimaginable time.
We're hoping for justice... we don't have closure
"The injuries Simon sustained that day did not just change his life, they also changed the lives of Nicole and Emily.
"As a team, we will do everything we possibly can to secure justice for Nicole, Emily and Simon's wider family and friends."
He said that as well as the five arrests, police are also speaking to a number of people considered witnesses to gather their accounts.
In 2017, Simon and his family touched the nation's hearts on home improvement TV programme DIY SOS.
A team of volunteers transformed his home to help meet his additional needs.
They converted the lounge into Simon's bedroom, kitted out with an overhead hoist system and a tilting bedframe to assist Nicole.
NICK'S TRIBUTE
The kitchen and garden were also given a makeover.
Presenter Nick Knowles later paid tribute to the footie fan following his death.
He said at the time: "Very sad news. His family put everything aside to care for him. Our sympathies are with them."
Witnesses reported that more than 20 people attacked Simon and his friends following the match in 2015, during which he sustained life-changing injuries.
He suffered a stroke and heart failure and spent a year in hospital and rehabilitation before returning home.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Read More on The Sun
Last year, an inquest found Simon died as a result of complications "arising from hypoxic ischemic brain injury following an assault".
But Essex coroner Sean Horstead suspended the proceedings until any criminal proceedings were complete.
8
8
8
8
8
Topics