Doormen jailed over death of man ejected from bar
Three doormen who caused the death of a 30-year-old man outside a bar in Doncaster have been jailed.
Jamie Kelly, from Leeds, died in hospital after being restrained by men and suffering serious injuries after being kicked out of the Vintage Rock Bar on Silver Street in May 2022.
Mark Rowing, 37, Dwayne Watson, 44, and David Williams, 30, were sentenced on Thursday after pleading guilty to manslaughter by gross negligence at Sheffield Crown Court in February.
Sheffield Recorder Judge Jeremy Richardson said each of the defendants was “an ordinary man doing an ordinary job in difficult circumstances” but his actions were “wholly disproportionate”.
The court heard Kelly had just completed a degree in music production and was in the city center to celebrate the birth of a friend’s baby.
Prosecutor Nicholas Johnson KC said he decided to throw Rowing, from Doncaster, out of the pub after seeing him “fighting” with a friend, drunk and “unsteady on his feet”.
He said Kelly’s behavior was “more drunk than violent” but that he “didn’t go quietly”.
Court heard Kelly was drunk but not violent [South Yorkshire Police]
The lawyer said Rowing pushing Kelly out the door “made it worse” and once outside, after some scuffle between them, Rowing put his arm around Kelly’s neck.
An eyewitness said Kelly “looked like he was choking, his eyes rolled back in his head” and he “put his fingers up and started counting down” as if he was about to faint.
He was released, but was wrestled to the ground again after punching Rowing, who “provoked” him.
‘Dangerously disproportionate’
Watson, from Nottingham, who had come from another bar across the road, then held Kelly “firmly” around her neck while Rowing held her arms.
Meanwhile, Williams, also from Nottingham, emerged from a third bar and crossed Kelly’s feet, keeping them grounded at times.
Johnson said: “All three [men] He applied significant pressure to himself for approximately three minutes.
He said the way he tackled her to the ground was “dangerously disproportionate” and that Kelly could have easily been grabbed “without her arms, head and neck being crushed”.
The court heard police arrived about two minutes after the men released the pressure and heard him breathing lightly but otherwise unresponsive.
Kelly was taken to hospital and later died of asphyxiation around 1:00 a.m. on May 2.
He was found to have injuries, including damage to his trachea, voice box, and bruising to the back of his head and body.
‘Gross mistake’
Kelly’s sister, Louise, said in a victim impact statement that her brother “lit up every room with positive energy, charm and a fantastic sense of humour.”
“Anyone who had the pleasure of meeting him had only good things to say about him,” he added.
He stated that he had never been in a fight before and that he would be the first person to “talk about the situation and calm it down.”
The judge heard all three defendants were committed fathers and had no previous convictions or cautions.
All three were authorized by the Security Industry Authority and had completed training in physical interventions, but this only dated back to 2013.
Judge Richardson said this was an “extremely difficult case” to decide.
“It’s really terrible to send people like this away. [you] “To prison,” he said.
“Sometimes even good people make terrible mistakes that lead to crime, and that’s what happened here.
“An otherwise decent individual is now dead. Likewise, each of you is perfectly decent in many ways,” he said.
He said it was “a huge mistake and a disproportionate response”.
Det Ch Insp Andy Knowles said: “Jamie’s death was an unnecessary and preventable tragedy and the actions of Rowing, Watson and Williams meant Jamie’s young life was taken away from him at a time when he had so much to look forward to.”
Rowing, of Exchange Street, Doncaster, was jailed for two years and six months; Watson, of Kingston Road, Worksop, was jailed for two years and Williams, of Kinross Crescent, Nottingham, was jailed for one year and eight months.
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