Rules on drinking alcohol tightened after fatal stabbing at football club ground

Lamar Jackson, known by his stage name Hypo, died after being stabbed at Woodford Town club’s grounds in the early hours of June 3.

One of the event’s security guards, 32-year-old Laurie John-Phillip from Enfield, has been charged with Jackson’s murder and is in police custody

During an urgent licensing hearing held by Redbridge Council soon after the incident, it emerged the club did not have permission to host the ‘Bottles and Modelling’ party, which was attended by hundreds.

At a full review of the club’s alcohol licence, held on July 5, stricter licensing conditions were placed on the club, reducing the number of people who can drink there outside of matchdays to 20. Alcohol can also no longer be consumed on the field where the event took place.

Lamar Jackson. Credit: Met Police

Woodford Town FC’s chairman Tony Scott told the committee he believed the event was a “40th birthday party” when it was booked by former director Jason Brissett.

This meant that no application for a music event was made to Redbridge Council, which could have resulted in strict conditions being imposed by the police.

Mr Scott told the committee: “One of the [event] committee members, a director, announced he had a friend’s 40th birthday party and told us that they were looking for somewhere to put up a nice marquee and have a party.

“This where naivety comes into it… the clubhouse was closed that dreadful evening and it seems like they got in this promotional company who took advantage of the situation.”

In their application for an urgent review of the licence, the Metropolitan Police said the lack of CCTV covering all public areas of the site was a breach of the club’s licence conditions and a criminal offence.

However, local Met Police licensing officer Matt Brown took a forgiving tone last week, saying Mr Scott had “messed up” due to naivety, rather than deliberately breaking the law.

PC Brown said he would have raised “serious concerns” about promoter Pure Life Entertainment, who he described as “high risk”.

He added: “I think Tony took it on face value that this was going to be a birthday party, he saw it as pretty much a nothing event.

“This is fundamentally where it all went wrong, obviously this is about the most serious thing that could happen at an event – someone getting stabbed or murdered.”

Mr Brissett, who resigned as a director of the club soon after the incident, was also a director of Pure Life Entertainment until October last year.

Mr Scott said: “As a director [Brissett] has resigned, which is a shame because he is a renowned football coach. 

"It was naivety on his part and our part, we were just trying to do the right thing and hopefully raise funds for the club. 

“I can only apologise from the club’s perspective, and on a personal note I feel responsible as chairman of the club.”

In a decision published on Redbridge’s website earlier this month, the licensing committee ruled it would be a “disproportionate step” to revoke or suspend the club’s licence.