Mild-mannered England fan stabbed two after Euro defeat

A drunken football fan stabbed two men after watching England lose on penalties against Italy in the Euro 2020 final.

Daniel Bell, 44, spent the evening drinking and watching the match end in heartbreak at his home in Hillingdon, west London.

Bell then headed out with his dog and encountered the victims, both 21, at a local service station late on 11 July 2021.

CCTV footage showed Bell approach and speak to the two men during which they make several attempts to move away.

Bell walked over to a nearby lamppost to tie up his dog, before approaching one of the men while brandishing a knife.

He then grabbed the victim in a headlock and stabbed him once to the neck and again near his ear.

When the other man rushed to his friend’s aid he too was held in a headlock by Bell and stabbed in the neck, Isleworth Crown Court heard.

Both victims suffered serious injuries with a wound just missing the jugular vein of one of the men.

Reading from a victim impact statement, prosecutor Sonya Saul said: ‘He was unable to work for three weeks and suffers from delayed hearing as a result of one wound being near his ear.’

Paul Williams, defending, told the court how shocked friends and relatives of Bell were after hearing what he did.

He said: ‘Mr Bell does really understand that he has done wrong and must pay the price for what he has done.’

Bell’s uncle said he had ‘never known Daniel to be short tempered or to exhibit any sort of violent behaviour’ and was ‘astonished that he intended to hurt another person.’

Judge Alastair Hammerton told Bell: ‘You do pose a significant risk to members of the public of causing serious harm.

‘Your offences demonstrate the use of a highly dangerous weapon.

‘The victims’ sustained what can only be described as grave injuries.

‘These are grave injuries and I am grateful this is not a murder trial.’

Smartly dressed Bell showed no emotion as he was jailed.

Bell, of Shakespeare Ave, Hillingdon, denied but was convicted of two charges of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

He was jailed for eleven years with an extended licence period of four years.