Russian yob jailed for three years for paralysing Brit footie fan freed from French jail days after sentencing

A YOB jailed for three years a fortnight ago for paralysing a footie fan in an attack has been freed from a French jail.

The assault by Russian Mikhail Ivkine, 34, and pal Pavel Kossov in Marseille, France, at Euro 2016 left Andrew Bache, 55, of Portsmouth, in a wheelchair.

Last night Andrew's son Harry said:''To think he is free already is outrageous. I was expecting it to be three years from the day of the verdict.

''The fact the remand time was taken into account was news to me. I had no idea. He's now back home with his family and we have been left to pick up the pieces.

''He threw the chair which hit my dad and left him off balance he fell to the floor and he was set on – if he hadn't been hit by the chair he might have escaped but instead his life has changed.''

Kossov, 34, was given ten years at the end of the trial in Aix en Provence and Ivkine only three years although prosecutors and Andrew's lawyer had hoped for at least five.

YOB HOME FOR CHRISTMAS

Ivkine had been freed on Christmas Day from Luynes jail on the outskirts of Aix and he was now back in Russia with his wife and children in time for the Orthoox Christmas later this week.

Ivkine's lawyer Jean Pinelli said:''He was released on Christmas Day and taken to a centre in Nimes and from there he was handed over to diplomatic officials.''

The Russian consulate in Marseille, Victoria Malyavina, had sparked controversy by saying the sentences were ''too heavy'' and the trial had been ''politicised''.

Ms Malyavina said: ''We consider it unacceptable that two of our co-nationals waited almost three years for their trial. The trial was politicised and that can be seen in the coverage it received.''

She added the ten-year sentence for Kossov was ''too severe'' and he is thought to have already launched an appeal.

They were arrested in March 2018 after Scotland Yard's Cyber Crime unit trawled through footage of the riots in Marseille ahead of the match between England and Russia.

Both were stopped in Germany as they travelled to Spain for a game after a red notice was issued when Russia refused to hand them over for trial.

Andrew's lawyer Olivier Rosato told The Sun: "The family are not happy but that's the way the system works. He was given three years but because of time in jail before the trial he was released.

"Ideally it is not what we would have liked to see but at least Kossov who was the main culprit is serving a longer sentence. We wanted double figures for him and at least he will get that.

"What we are trying to make sure is that he will serve his sentence in a French jail and not be transferred back to Russia.

"We will oppose any request by Moscow for that to happen. These men were treated as heroes in their country so they should not be given any special treatment."

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