Protagonist and football fans convicted of a large violent disorder in Coventry – Mike Shaw led Matthew Parris for the Crown
A Warwick jury have this week convicted the chief protagonist of a large violent disorder, involving over twenty football fans. On 9th June 2020, hundreds of people congregated at the Lady Godiva statue in Coventry city centre to celebrate their club’s promotion to the EFL Championship. Zaid Idris instigated a confrontation with some of them, ultimately threatening to stab them. After initial acts of self-defence, several fans pursued Mr Idris and an associate a few hundred yards, throwing bottles and other missiles. The case against Mr Idris was supported by footage from a Channel 5 documentary within which he made strikingly similar threats to stab. Self-defence was the issue pursued at trial by all five defendants.