Paul ODonnell

Paul O'Donnell died two weeks after being punched in the car park outside Nottingham Forest's City Ground on 4 August 2017. He died in hospital on 18 August 2017.

A man, a Millwall fan, was tried for his manslaughter but the doctors could not say that Paul O'Donnell had died as a direct result of the injuries caused by the man on trial after it was heard that Paul O'Donnell had also fallen down some stairs some time after the incident and that it could not be said that he had fallen as a direct result of the injuries that he received when he was punched.

The man admitted hitting Paul O'Donnell, saying that he did so because he was saying 'West Ham' at him. He had punched him shortly before kick-off. The man had drunk seven pints beforehand and said that Paul O'Donnell's taunts had pissed him off.

It had been the opening day of the Championship season and Nottingham Forest won the game 1-0. Paul O'Donnell had been a Nottingham Forest fan.

It was heard that Paul O'Donnell had been incapable of defending himself at the time of the attack as he had been looking away.

Paul O'Donnell had gone home on 7 August 2017 after receiving initial treatment at the Queen's Medical Centre for his injuries, a skull fracture and bleeding on the brain, but was later found at home in a critical condition and taken back to hospital. After his initial release from the Queen's Medical Centre where he was found to have had a blood clot and a longitudinal skull fracture, he had suffered from memory loss and severe headaches. Then on 17 August 2017 he had gone out celebrating and had fallen down some stairs. He was taken back to hospital but died a few days later.

The man that punched Paul O'Donnell was convicted of causing grievous bodily harm and sentenced to two years.

Paul O'Donnell had been a pipe fitter and had lived in New Balderton near Newark. He was known as Ducksy.