Five men have been arrested on suspicion of killing a man who was left with permanent brain damage from an attack on his way home from a football match and died five years later.
Simon Dobin was attacked in Southend in Essex after the match Southend United against Cambridge United on March 21, 2015. The former RAF serviceman died at the age of 48 on October 21, 2020.
Until the attack, he worked as a transport manager for a fuel company. Dobin’s family provided him with 24-hour care at his home in Mildenhall, Suffolk, until his death.
Essex police say they have begun treating his death as murder after medical tests showed a direct link between his death and the injuries he received.
On Friday, five men aged 30, 34, 39, 45 and 27 were arrested at addresses in South Essex, the forces said. They are in custody and have been questioned on suspicion of murder.
In November last year, police announced a £ 20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those directly responsible for Dobin’s death.
Child Assistant Stephen Jennings of the Kent and Essex Serious Crimes Directorate said police had received more information and “we have people who showed up” after the appeal.
He said officers analyzed evidence obtained in 2015 “with a fine-toothed comb” and reviewed information from a 2017 trial in which 13 men were convicted of involvement in the attack.
Jennings said he could not comment on whether any of the five men arrested were among the 13 men convicted at the trial in 2017.
“Simon’s wife, Nicole, and their daughter, Emily, were informed of our progress every step of the way,” Jennings said. “Simon was a completely innocent party to the disorder that happened the other day, and his family went through an unimaginable time.
“The injuries Simon received that day not only changed his life, they changed Nicole and Emily’s lives. As a team, we will do everything we can to ensure justice for Nicole’s extended family and friends, Emily and Simon.
He said that in addition to the five arrests, detectives had spoken to a number of people believed to be witnesses to collect their bills.
Nicole and Emily Dobbin spoke at a news conference last November when police announced the award for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those directly responsible for his death.
Nicole Dobin said they had “over five of the worst years” and “are grieving again” after Dobin’s death. “Simon was 48 years old and he had so much to look forward to,” she said. “Now he will not be able to grow old with me or watch his daughter get married and his grandchildren grow up. All those beautiful memories we could have made were stolen from us. ”
The family appeared in an episode of DIY SOS in 2019 with TV presenter Nick Knowles, interior designer Lawrence Llewellyn-Bowen and a team of volunteers who spent nine days adapting the family home to better meet their needs.
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