Man dressed as US police officer involved in holiday park brawl

Patrick Donovan, 29, was dressed as a US officer when he joined John Connors, 52, Ned Cash, 21, and Rachel Harrison, 37, in the fracas in the bar area of Vauxhall Holiday Park in Great Yarmouth.

Vauxhall Holiday Park, Yarmouth (Image: Newsquest) Although it is not clear what started the violence, Norwich Crown Court heard Donovan "played a considerable role in whatever it was that had gone on".

He approached a man who was knocked to the floor and "punched him while he was on the floor about nine times".

Norwich Crown Court (Image: Peter Walsh, Newsquest) Connors, Cash, and Donovan were also involved in the melee with Harrison, who had been holding one of her children when the violence started.

She later picked up a chair and hit an innocent man in the face with it resulting in him suffering permanent scarring as a result.

Richard Paterson, prosecuting, said Donovan ran off when police and security later turned up at his caravan.

Patrick Donovan (Image: Norfolk Constabulary) He said he went onto “headbutt” a security officer and kicked a police officer.

He also swore at and made offensive remarks towards another officer as he was transported away.

Following the incident on October 28 last year, Connors, of HMP Stocken in Leicestershire, Cash, from London, Donovan, of HMP Chelmsford, and Harrison, of Worcester Road in Wisbech, all admitted affray.

John Connors (Image: Norfolk Constabulary) Appearing in court for sentencing on Friday (November 8) were Donovan, Connors and Harrison.

Cash was not present and a warrant was issued for his arrest after he failed to attend a previous hearing in September.

Donovan, who has 12 previous convictions for 27 offences, also admitted assault by beating of an emergency worker, assault by beating and using threatening or abusive words and behaviour.

He also faced sentence for a burglary in Essex in June 2023.

Connors, who has 20 previous convictions for 54 offences, also faced sentence for a burglary in Preston on July 26, 2023.

Recorder Ciaran Rankin who said “it should have been a fun night out” jailed Donovan for a total of 36 months and Connors for a total of five years.

Vauxhall Holiday Park, Yarmouth (Image: Newsquest) Harrison, who also admitted wounding, got 18 months, suspended for 24 months as well as 15 days rehabilitation activity requirement, 90 days alcohol abstinence monitoring and was ordered to pay £500 compensation to victim.

Ed Renvoize, mitigating for Donovan, accepted it was a "pretty unedifying piece of violence" but insisted he had been doing "very little" apart from trying to calm things down - but only became involved when Cash did.

He said there was little evidence anyone else was distressed by what had occurred and also could not see Donovan kick anyone.

Mr Renvoize said when police came knocking he "acted like a complete idiot" but said since being in prison there has been a "change that's occurred in him".

He said he had completely changed his life around since the birth of a child and had stopped drinking and taking drugs.

Jude Durr, mitigating for Connors, said it was a "full credit case" for his client who entered a guilty plea at the first opportunity.

He said clearly there was "some impact on the people who were present at the holiday park at the time" but insisted it was co-defendant Cash who was the "catalyst" for the incident.

He said Cash had targeted another individual, sparking the violence.

Jonathan Goodman, for Harrison, said she was not working but looking after her family.