'I'm not a racist' - Mansfield man left with life-changing injuries over 'white power' comment speaks out

William Dennis appeared before the Royal Courts of Justice on Wednesday, March 17 to argue that the 14-month prison term he was given by Nottingham Crown Court was excessive.

Dennis knocked Perry Cranston out cold outside Wilko’s in Mansfield on February 23 last year, in the hours prior to the Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder fight.

Both men had been drinking and converged on Clumber Street in separate groups to await taxis to make their way home, Nottingham Crown Court was initially told when Dennis was jailed for 14 months in February.

The groups had been stood under a canopy and started talking and ‘bantering’ about the forthcoming fight and Dennis had ‘seen red’ after Mr Cranston made a remark about ‘white power’ - something he later denied saying.

Dennis had then started swinging punches and dragged Mr Cranston into the middle of the road and punched him up to nine times - the last one knocking him out.

He fell to the floor and cracked his head on the kerb, causing bleeding to the brain.

In a statement, Mr Cranston said: “The decision today is far from something to celebrate - I am just relieved it is finally over.

"The past 13 months have been the worst of my life, so I now feel like I have some closure and can now focus on my recovery.

“The operation next month will hopefully allow a better quality of life for me and a return to some kind of normal.

“I would also like to address many of the rumours I have seen on social media which have been written about the case.

“I do not have any recollection of the night due to the extensive brain damage I received, however the evidence from witnesses, and from Will himself, was that it was a single comment of 'White Power' that was said during a discussion about the boxing match between Wilder and Fury.

“I want to make it clear that this was not aimed at Will - we knew each other through football and we have never had any altercations or bad blood between us - I had no reason to direct comments at him.

“If this was said, it would only have been said because I wanted the British man to win and it would only have been made in a jokey context.

“I was out that night with two black friends and would never say anything derogatory about race, but I understand the comment is in poor taste.

“There has been evidence shared from the criminal investigation that I also want to address - there was an extensive search of my phone completed by police, and a number of racist terms were highlighted in the search.

“I need to clarify, however, that police checked each of the search results and confirmed, in court, that they were not written by me, but in group chats which I was a part of and have since removed myself from. This needs to end now, and both parties need to move on.”

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