IMUSA
Michael Burk, Kyle Dillon, Nicholas Lukacs and Richard Wimmer remain in jail for the time being.
IMUSA has good contacts in Italy and practical help is available to any of the families involved if they want to get in touch.
comms@imusa.org
Saturday 29 December 2007
Jailed fans 'treated like animals'
Manchester Evening News
Don Frame
29/12/2007
FAMILIES of four Manchester United fans jailed for more than two years in Italy say they are being treated like animals in prison.
The men, who denied violent behaviour and resisting arrest before United's game against Roma earlier this month, have to remain behind bars until their appeals are heard - which could be up to six months away.
Families flew out to the Rome jail before Christmas and have now joined forces to try to get them out.
One of the four, Kyle Dillon, 23, from Mottram, near Hyde, is partially sighted. He was jailed for two years and five months.
His mother Janet said: "I couldn't believe this was an EU country when we saw the conditions they are being kept in.
"The cells are freezing cold, the lads were kept for two weeks in the same clothes they had been wearing when they were brought in, the food is awful, and the prison officers treat them like absolute dirt.
"They are kept confined to their cells all day with the exception of a 20-minute exercise break. Nobody seems to speak any English and they are constantly being bombarded with forms they are asked to sign, which they can't understand.
"We are all on a horrifying emotional roller-coaster, and nobody seems to be doing anything to help us."
Italian police claim the four men were part of a group of 60 or 70 fans dressed in black who crossed a bridge outside the stadium in search of a fight.
Families, however, say that English supporters were taken by bus to the ground where they were told to get off in the middle of Italian fans who then bombarded them with bottles and missiles.
Another jailed fan is Nicholas Lukacs, 18, from Whaley Bridge, Derbyshire. His mum Anna said: "Riot police moved in, tear gas was used, and officers just kept hitting them with batons.
"Nicholas said he fell, and held out his hands to the police as if to say `I've done nothing, help me' and they took no notice and still hit him.
"Somebody from the British Embassy went to see him and told us that he was all right.
"In fact, he was covered in bruises from the beating and could hardly walk for three days. The conditions in which they are being held are horrendous. We have been told they will remain there until the appeal hearing.
"The next step now is to appoint our own lawyer, who may also represent one or two of the other lads. We are just ordinary decent families struggling to cope with a situation that is totally alien to us."
The other fans in prison are Michael Burk 35, from Little Hulton, Salford, who was jailed for two years and four months, and Richard Wimmer, 39, believed to be from Yorkshire, who got two years five months.
Don Frame
29/12/2007
FAMILIES of four Manchester United fans jailed for more than two years in Italy say they are being treated like animals in prison.
The men, who denied violent behaviour and resisting arrest before United's game against Roma earlier this month, have to remain behind bars until their appeals are heard - which could be up to six months away.
Families flew out to the Rome jail before Christmas and have now joined forces to try to get them out.
One of the four, Kyle Dillon, 23, from Mottram, near Hyde, is partially sighted. He was jailed for two years and five months.
His mother Janet said: "I couldn't believe this was an EU country when we saw the conditions they are being kept in.
"The cells are freezing cold, the lads were kept for two weeks in the same clothes they had been wearing when they were brought in, the food is awful, and the prison officers treat them like absolute dirt.
"They are kept confined to their cells all day with the exception of a 20-minute exercise break. Nobody seems to speak any English and they are constantly being bombarded with forms they are asked to sign, which they can't understand.
"We are all on a horrifying emotional roller-coaster, and nobody seems to be doing anything to help us."
Italian police claim the four men were part of a group of 60 or 70 fans dressed in black who crossed a bridge outside the stadium in search of a fight.
Families, however, say that English supporters were taken by bus to the ground where they were told to get off in the middle of Italian fans who then bombarded them with bottles and missiles.
Another jailed fan is Nicholas Lukacs, 18, from Whaley Bridge, Derbyshire. His mum Anna said: "Riot police moved in, tear gas was used, and officers just kept hitting them with batons.
"Nicholas said he fell, and held out his hands to the police as if to say `I've done nothing, help me' and they took no notice and still hit him.
"Somebody from the British Embassy went to see him and told us that he was all right.
"In fact, he was covered in bruises from the beating and could hardly walk for three days. The conditions in which they are being held are horrendous. We have been told they will remain there until the appeal hearing.
"The next step now is to appoint our own lawyer, who may also represent one or two of the other lads. We are just ordinary decent families struggling to cope with a situation that is totally alien to us."
The other fans in prison are Michael Burk 35, from Little Hulton, Salford, who was jailed for two years and four months, and Richard Wimmer, 39, believed to be from Yorkshire, who got two years five months.
Friday 28 December 2007
Football fan must stay in prison
By Ian Noble
A FOOTBALL fan from the region who was jailed for fighting with rival supporters in Rome will spend at least three months in an Italian prison.
Manchester United fan Richard Wimmer, 39, of North Yorkshire, was jailed for fighting with AS Roma supporters.
The brawl came as United fans clashed with those of AS Roma before a Champions League match on December 12.
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Wimmer, of South Parade, Northallerton, was one of four fans from England to be arrested.
Kyle Dillon, 23, Nicholas Lukas, 18, and Michael Burke, 35, were arrested with him before the match, which ended 1-1. They were charged with assault and resisting arrest by the Italian police.
Wimmer and Dillon were both jailed for two years and six months, while Burke and Lukas were sentenced to two years and five months.
An appeal hearing was held this week, but the four will remain in prison until a new trial date is set.
A Foreign Office spokesman said: "They are being held in jail in Italy and have not been sent back to the UK. There was an appeal on Monday and their lawyer is still going forward with the case. The case could still take two to three months before a date is set for another trial."
The four were part of a group of fans who were being escorted to AS Roma's Stadio Olimpico.
They are thought to have joined a 60-strong gang of Manchester United fans who broke away from the main group.
They then ran into rival AS Roma fans close to the Duca d'Aosta bridge, where fighting broke out.
Greater Manchester Police hooligan spotters identified the four to Italian officers for their part in the fighting.
A police spokesman said they had not been not subject to any football banning orders.
Manchester police Superintendent John Graves said: "The majority of people travelling are genuine football fans who just want to have a good night."
He warned fans at future matches: "When travelling to the stadium, use the official transport provided and be mindful of your personal safety."
Michael Heaton, branch secretary of the Harrogate and District Manchester United Supporters' Club, said: "I have been all over the world following Manchester United for over 50 years and I'm not a hooligan.
"But some of the things you have to put up with when you travel abroad are disgraceful.
"There are places to avoid and I would rather you could just go to a match and be able to watch it safely."
Five other Manchester United fans were stabbed in violence which marred the match
A FOOTBALL fan from the region who was jailed for fighting with rival supporters in Rome will spend at least three months in an Italian prison.
Manchester United fan Richard Wimmer, 39, of North Yorkshire, was jailed for fighting with AS Roma supporters.
The brawl came as United fans clashed with those of AS Roma before a Champions League match on December 12.
advertisement
Wimmer, of South Parade, Northallerton, was one of four fans from England to be arrested.
Kyle Dillon, 23, Nicholas Lukas, 18, and Michael Burke, 35, were arrested with him before the match, which ended 1-1. They were charged with assault and resisting arrest by the Italian police.
Wimmer and Dillon were both jailed for two years and six months, while Burke and Lukas were sentenced to two years and five months.
An appeal hearing was held this week, but the four will remain in prison until a new trial date is set.
A Foreign Office spokesman said: "They are being held in jail in Italy and have not been sent back to the UK. There was an appeal on Monday and their lawyer is still going forward with the case. The case could still take two to three months before a date is set for another trial."
The four were part of a group of fans who were being escorted to AS Roma's Stadio Olimpico.
They are thought to have joined a 60-strong gang of Manchester United fans who broke away from the main group.
They then ran into rival AS Roma fans close to the Duca d'Aosta bridge, where fighting broke out.
Greater Manchester Police hooligan spotters identified the four to Italian officers for their part in the fighting.
A police spokesman said they had not been not subject to any football banning orders.
Manchester police Superintendent John Graves said: "The majority of people travelling are genuine football fans who just want to have a good night."
He warned fans at future matches: "When travelling to the stadium, use the official transport provided and be mindful of your personal safety."
Michael Heaton, branch secretary of the Harrogate and District Manchester United Supporters' Club, said: "I have been all over the world following Manchester United for over 50 years and I'm not a hooligan.
"But some of the things you have to put up with when you travel abroad are disgraceful.
"There are places to avoid and I would rather you could just go to a match and be able to watch it safely."
Five other Manchester United fans were stabbed in violence which marred the match
Thursday 27 December 2007
Fans to stay in jail until appeal
BBC
Four Manchester United fans jailed for their part in a fight with Roma fans are to remain in prison in Italy while they wait for their appeal hearing.
Five United fans were stabbed in a fight between rival fans before the Champions League match in Rome on Wednesday, 12 December.
Four supporters were jailed but had hoped to be allowed to return home before their appeal could be heard.
The Foreign Office said they would now remain in jail until their appeal.
A date for the appeal hearing has not yet been set.
'Violent behaviour'
The four men were formally charged with violent behaviour and resisting arrest.
None of the stabbed fans suffered serious injuries.
The judges presiding in the case met in Rome on Christmas Eve, but their decision was not known until Thursday.
Kyle Dillon, 23, from Mottram, near Hyde, and Richard Wimmer, 39, were each sentenced to two years and five months.
Nicholas Lucas, 18, and Michael Burk, 35, from Little Hulton, Salford, were jailed for two years and four months.
Four Manchester United fans jailed for their part in a fight with Roma fans are to remain in prison in Italy while they wait for their appeal hearing.
Five United fans were stabbed in a fight between rival fans before the Champions League match in Rome on Wednesday, 12 December.
Four supporters were jailed but had hoped to be allowed to return home before their appeal could be heard.
The Foreign Office said they would now remain in jail until their appeal.
A date for the appeal hearing has not yet been set.
'Violent behaviour'
The four men were formally charged with violent behaviour and resisting arrest.
None of the stabbed fans suffered serious injuries.
The judges presiding in the case met in Rome on Christmas Eve, but their decision was not known until Thursday.
Kyle Dillon, 23, from Mottram, near Hyde, and Richard Wimmer, 39, were each sentenced to two years and five months.
Nicholas Lucas, 18, and Michael Burk, 35, from Little Hulton, Salford, were jailed for two years and four months.
Wednesday 26 December 2007
Late appeal fails for jailed Manchester United fans
The Herald (no online content)
FOUR Manchester United fans spent Christmas Day behind bars in Italy despite a last-minute appeal hearing.
The men, who were jailed last Friday for their part in a fight with rival supporters, had hoped to be freed following an appeal tribunal which sat on Monday.
But they will have to wait until tomorrow to learn the result of their appeal, the Foreign Office said.
Kyle Dillon, 23, and Richard Wimmer, 39, were each jailed for two years and six months. Nicholas Lucas, 18, and Michael Burk, 35, were each jailed for two years and five months.
The four were arrested on December 12 after fighting broke out between Manchester United and AS Roma fans before the Champions League group game in the Italian capital.
The four were charged with violent behaviour and resisting arrest after skirmishes on the Duca d’Aosta bridge near the Stadio Olimpico, a wellknown hangout for Roma’s hardline supporters.
A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: “The judges presiding in this case met in Rome on December 24. The result of their deliberations will not be known before December 27. Their families have been informed.”
Relatives of Dillon are believed to be in Italy.
Italian media reports at the time suggested the four men were part of a group of around 60 supporters who broke away from an escort and made their own way to the stadium before hitting trouble.
It is believed the four men were known to police in England but were not subject to any football banning orders.
If the appeals tribunal does decide to release the men they will serve suspended sentences in the UK.
FOUR Manchester United fans spent Christmas Day behind bars in Italy despite a last-minute appeal hearing.
The men, who were jailed last Friday for their part in a fight with rival supporters, had hoped to be freed following an appeal tribunal which sat on Monday.
But they will have to wait until tomorrow to learn the result of their appeal, the Foreign Office said.
Kyle Dillon, 23, and Richard Wimmer, 39, were each jailed for two years and six months. Nicholas Lucas, 18, and Michael Burk, 35, were each jailed for two years and five months.
The four were arrested on December 12 after fighting broke out between Manchester United and AS Roma fans before the Champions League group game in the Italian capital.
The four were charged with violent behaviour and resisting arrest after skirmishes on the Duca d’Aosta bridge near the Stadio Olimpico, a wellknown hangout for Roma’s hardline supporters.
A Foreign Office spokeswoman said: “The judges presiding in this case met in Rome on December 24. The result of their deliberations will not be known before December 27. Their families have been informed.”
Relatives of Dillon are believed to be in Italy.
Italian media reports at the time suggested the four men were part of a group of around 60 supporters who broke away from an escort and made their own way to the stadium before hitting trouble.
It is believed the four men were known to police in England but were not subject to any football banning orders.
If the appeals tribunal does decide to release the men they will serve suspended sentences in the UK.
Manchester United fans jailed in Italy
Telegraph
By Sally Peck and agencies
Four Manchester United fans will be spending Christmas in an Italian prison after they were jailed in Rome today for their part in a fight with rival football supporters.
A British Embassy spokesman in Rome said that Kyle Dillon, 23, and Richard Wimmer, 39, had both been sentenced to two years and six months in prison after facing charges of assault and resisting arrest.
Nicholas Lucas, 18, and Michael Burk, 35, were both jailed for two years and five months, he said.
The four men were arrested on December 12 after fighting with AS Roma fans before the Champions League match in the Italian capital.
The men were arrested during violent fighting between United and Roma fans on the Duke D'Aosta bridge outside Roma's Olympic Stadium.
Security arrangements for last night were tight and included 60 United stewards and a total ban on the sale of alcohol throughout the city in the afternoon. Police helicopters also circled the stadium in an attempt to isolate trouble spots.
The match, which ended 1-1, was largely academic as both sides had already qualified for the last 16 of the competition.
By Sally Peck and agencies
Four Manchester United fans will be spending Christmas in an Italian prison after they were jailed in Rome today for their part in a fight with rival football supporters.
A British Embassy spokesman in Rome said that Kyle Dillon, 23, and Richard Wimmer, 39, had both been sentenced to two years and six months in prison after facing charges of assault and resisting arrest.
Nicholas Lucas, 18, and Michael Burk, 35, were both jailed for two years and five months, he said.
The four men were arrested on December 12 after fighting with AS Roma fans before the Champions League match in the Italian capital.
The men were arrested during violent fighting between United and Roma fans on the Duke D'Aosta bridge outside Roma's Olympic Stadium.
Security arrangements for last night were tight and included 60 United stewards and a total ban on the sale of alcohol throughout the city in the afternoon. Police helicopters also circled the stadium in an attempt to isolate trouble spots.
The match, which ended 1-1, was largely academic as both sides had already qualified for the last 16 of the competition.
Man United fans Xmas in jail
Mirror.co.uk
Four Manchester United fans spent Christmas Day behind bars in Italy after a failed appeal hearing.
The men - Kyle Dillon, 23, Richard Wimmer, 39, Nicholas Lucas, 18, and Michael Burk, 35 - were jailed five days ago for their part in a fight with rival fans from AS Roma.
The Foreign Office said: "The result of judges deliberating in this case will not be known before December 27."
Four Manchester United fans spent Christmas Day behind bars in Italy after a failed appeal hearing.
The men - Kyle Dillon, 23, Richard Wimmer, 39, Nicholas Lucas, 18, and Michael Burk, 35 - were jailed five days ago for their part in a fight with rival fans from AS Roma.
The Foreign Office said: "The result of judges deliberating in this case will not be known before December 27."
Monday 24 December 2007
Christmas in jail for football fans
ITN
Four Manchester United fans jailed after a fight with Roma supporters will spend Christmas behind bars in Italy.
The four men were given prison sentences for their part in a mass brawl with supporters of AS Roma but hoped to be freed after an appeal.
But the judges deciding their fate will wait until after Christmas to deliver their ruling.
Kyle Dillon, 23, and Richard Wimmer, 39, were both jailed for two years and six months.
Nicholas Lucas, 18, and Michael Burk, 35, were both jailed for two years and five months.
The four were arrested on December 12 after fighting broke out with AS Roma fans before United's Champions League group game in Rome.
The Britons were charged with violent behaviour and resisting arrest after the clash.
If the appeals tribunal decides to release them they will serve suspended sentences in the UK.
Four Manchester United fans jailed after a fight with Roma supporters will spend Christmas behind bars in Italy.
The four men were given prison sentences for their part in a mass brawl with supporters of AS Roma but hoped to be freed after an appeal.
But the judges deciding their fate will wait until after Christmas to deliver their ruling.
Kyle Dillon, 23, and Richard Wimmer, 39, were both jailed for two years and six months.
Nicholas Lucas, 18, and Michael Burk, 35, were both jailed for two years and five months.
The four were arrested on December 12 after fighting broke out with AS Roma fans before United's Champions League group game in Rome.
The Britons were charged with violent behaviour and resisting arrest after the clash.
If the appeals tribunal decides to release them they will serve suspended sentences in the UK.
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