Company Director jailed for manslaughter following football related violence

Company Director, Jake Balmforth, 35, has been jailed for five years for manslaughter, after an outbreak of violence in a Blackpool pub led to the death of Anthony Johnson. A nine year football banning order was also imposed.

Katie Lord, Senior Crown Prosecutor for CPS North West, said: “This case is a tragic reminder that one punch can kill.

“When violence broke out between rival football fans in a Blackpool pub, Jake Balmforth punched Anthony Johnson, with fatal consequences.

“In addition to prosecuting Balmforth for manslaughter, we also successfully made an application for a football banning order to be imposed on him to prevent him from committing further football related violence.

“Our thoughts are with the family and friends of Mr Johnson who bear his loss, we hope today’s sentence offers them some semblance of closure.”