Mother of Mansfield youth worker who left another man with life-changing injuries speaks out after his appeal fails

Samantha Dennis spoke out after William Dennis’ appeal against sentence was rejected by London’s High Court on Wednesday, March 17.

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, Nottingham Crown Court heard when Dennis was sentenced earlier this year.

Mrs Dennis, who viewed the court proceedings remotely, had called into question elements of the police investigation and said her son’s recollection of events differs from the version heard in court.

She said: “I am disappointed by the outcome of the hearing today but am grateful to have gotten a glimpse of my son on the screen for the first time since he was sentenced in January. William initially declined his right of appeal, but I encouraged him to because I find it very difficult to live with my remarkable son being in prison.

"This case is complex and there are items of evidence that have not been fully considered; if at all.

"There were witness accounts of the white power comment and I have already shared racist content relating to my son directly. Evidence in our case files suggests the incident was over two minutes long, however the decision taken by the judge in the original hearing was based on the end of the incident, approximately one minute of footage, rather than considering it in its entirety.

“William didn’t get the opportunity to provide his account of what happened on that night to the police due to him having a different solicitor each time he was spoken to.

"All three advised him not to comment and having never been in trouble before he followed their advice. The changes in representation were due to Covid and unavoidable. William was frustrated at not being able to give his account and he did prepare a full statement; this was not considered.

“William categorically denies that this incident was due to banter about boxing and is very clear and consistent with his account.

"He recalls talking to a black male about skin colour and being proud of who he is; this was instigated by the man’s friend asking William’s opinion on his skin tone.

"Witness statements from these men were retracted. A witness account that remained in the case recalls boxing banter taking place in a chip shop around the corner but also states that the witness was intoxicated.

“William’s account continues that at the point the white power comment was made, the individual was advancing towards him in what William described as an aggressive manner. William recalls pushing the male into the corner to protect himself before experiencing a fist to his face and a push to the chest which set him backwards.

"He deeply regrets what followed and has never denied hitting back from that. He does, however, dispute some comments noted in a police pocketbook, having no recollection of stating that anyone had been winding him up all night.

“As a family, we have experienced racist death threats since this incident and I am extremely worried about our safety, particularly when William is released from prison. It is my opinion that this incident was entirely avoidable had a banning order been effectively managed.

"I have written to the Mansfield Association of Licensed Venues to request a full internal investigation into the systemic failings on February 23, 2020, in the hope that lessons learned from this will make our town safer. I have asked the police and council to support this process.

“With the support of Stuart Lawrence, I have started positive dialogues with Nottinghamshire Police and Mansfield District Council, the Police and Crime Commissioner and Stop Hate UK around community cohesion, hate crime and, more locally, the safety of Mansfield town centre as lockdown measures ease.

“I have seen that there are many comments making judgement about my son and want to make it very clear that William has taken full accountability for his part in this tragic incident and has consistently refused to enter into any dialogue about the character of anybody else involved. He and I wish for peace and healing for everybody.”

Following the incident, Mr Cranston was rushed to King’s Mill Hospital, in Sutton, and was then transferred to the intensive care unit at Nottingham’s Queen’s Medical Centre, where medics battled to save his life.

He was subsequently left with memory problems and has to wear a crash helmet when he goes out, to protect his skull after a steel plate that was fitted became infected and had to be removed. It is understood that medics will make another attempt to hit a metal plate next month.

At the time, Dennis told police “I heard him say ‘white power’, and I flipped, I’m so angry with myself. I’m a youth offending worker. I tell other people not to react.”

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