(posted 7249 days ago)Black eyes and cuts on display as louts face court
By Richard Alleyne in AlbufeiraTelegraph
(Filed: 18/06/2004)Dozens more English hooligans appeared in Portuguese courts yesterday after being arrested during a second night of violence in Albufeira.
While thousands travelled to the northern city of Coimbra for England's second match of Euro 2004, the 35 were herded into a tiny, hot courtroom and told their championship was over. They would be deported at the earliest opportunity.
During a hearing that lasted more than six hours, the men, some sporting black eyes, ripped clothes and cut faces, thought they had escaped justice by agreeing to go home.
It later emerged that they would still face trial at a later date and, if convicted, face prison, probably in Britain.
Of the 35, all but two had been arrested in the early hours of Wednesday as a hard-core group of about 50 hooligans rampaged through an area of the resort densely populated with bars.
The other two had been picked up later after being caught on police videos.
The night of violence, the second in the area known locally as "the strip", appeared to be organised and police were convinced that "hooligan generals" had masterminded the trouble.
Yesterday they were brought from holding cells in Faro, the capital of the Algarve, and marched, handcuffed, into the Tribunal da Comarca de Albufeira.
Most tried to hide their faces, only looking up to acknowledge friends and family, who shouted words of encouragement.
A boy of 12 shouted to his father to look up and then took a picture of him on his mobile phone as he was escorted by a military policeman into the court.
Few of the 35 suspects were identified in open court and the authorities refused to give out a full list of the names of those accused.
Only Michael Kelly, 39, from West Dulwich, south London, and James Everett, 46, were clearly identified. Michael Rogers, of Kennington, south London, stood out because his hair was dyed pink.
The judge, who also refused to be identified, asked whether they would object to being deported. None did.
They were then told that they would have to fill out an affidavit of evidence which would be used in any subsequent court hearing.
If after 30 days the authorities felt there was a case for prosecution, each man would stand trial. They did not need to return to Portugal for trial but, if they were convicted, they would be fined or imprisoned, probably in England.
David Swift, who heads the British police contingent in Portugal, said 18 of those in court were not known to the authorities. Of the others, 10 had a variety of criminal offences against them, for dishonesty, drugs or disorderly behaviour. Another five had received cautions or reprimands. Mr Swift said his officers would seek football banning orders where appropriate on the deported fans.