A founding member of the Raise the Colours campaign group -which puts England and British flags on lampposts – has appeared in court charged with murder following an attack outside a cocktail bar.
Billy Allison, 36, is accused of the murder of village pub owner Matthew O’Gara during an incident in Lichfield, Staffordshire, over the bank holiday weekend.
Police were called to the Ricco and Loren bar in the cathedral city at 11.25pm on Sunday following reports two men had been punched.
One of the men, Mr O’Gara, sustained serious injuries and died in hospital on Tuesday.
The force said the second victim in the assault, Adam Cooper, was taken to hospital but has since been discharged. Allison is charged with causing grievous bodily harm in relation to the latter.
Wearing a blue long-sleeved top, Allison, of Solihull, appeared before Judge Avik Mukherjee for an eight-minute hearing at Safford Crown Court on Thursday and spoke only to confirm his name when asked by the court clerk.
The court heard a date for trial, expected to last two weeks, was set for October 26. The judge told the defendant, who stood with his hands clasped in front of him, he would next appear in court in September and would be remanded into custody.
He said: ‘Billy Allison, will you stand please. ‘Your next hearing is the first of September and you will be produced to court for that hearing.’
Billy Allison, 36, is charged with murder and grievous bodily harm with intent
Lichfield Rugby Club said Matthew O’Gara was a ‘very generous and valued sponsor’ as well as a friend
Police were called to the Ricco and Loren bar in Lichfield at 11.25pm on Sunday following reports two men had been punched
Of his trial, the judge said: ‘You have an obligation to come. You are expected to be here every day for your trial.’
Allison nodded and was taken back down to the cells by a custody officer following the hearing.
Mr O’Gara was a director of The Plough pub in the village of Huddlesford, just outside Lichfield.
Earlier this week the business said in a post on its Facebook page that ‘due to some very sad news’ it would be closing for a few days ‘to give our staff and the family involved the time, privacy, and respect they need’.
A number of firms across the hospitality industry have commented on the post, sending their condolences to those who knew Mr O’Gara, while Lichfield Rugby Club also paid tribute to the publican.
‘It is with regret and deep sadness that we share the tragic news of the death of one of our rugby family’, the club said, adding that Mr O’Gara was also a ‘very generous and valued sponsor’ as well as a friend.
Raise the Colours has is origins in south Birmingham and considers itself a ‘grassroots movement for unity and patriotism’ which aims to ‘cover Britain in flags’.
