A "professional" football hooligan who started a violent brawl in the streets of Southampton has a history of violence at football matches.
Tottenham fan Dante Lauder-Hawkins, who is also a cage fighter, was jailed for more than seven years after arranging the fight after his team's match against Southampton on March 18, 2023.
It is not the first time he will spend time behind bars for his involvement in a fight at a football match, the court was told, after he and a group of Spurs fans descended on Brighton in 2010.
The Seagulls' pre-season friendly against Aberdeen was marred by violence, which saw Lauder-Hawkins jailed for two years, according to newspaper reports at the time.
He has previously been banned from football matches three times for violence.
Pint glasses, beer bottles and chairs were used as weapons during the brawl in Southampton, which left drivers and passers-by terrified.
Lauder-Hawkins threw punches and chairs in the fight.
Southampton Crown Court was told today that the 35-year-old text Saints fan Kane Buckley to arrange the seven-and-a-minute scrap on Oxford Street after the match.
The pair had been in touch with one another before and after the match. This included relaying the locations of both of their groups to one another.
Prosecutor Simon Jones said that after agreeing to the fight, the Spurs fans left the wine bar they were at and travelled in the wrong direction, until they saw the group of Saints fans.
At one point Hawkins sent Buckley a voice message, which police could not recover, which Buckley responded to with two fist emojis.
Buckley, 26, was jailed for 30 months last week.
Lauder-Hawkins, of Exmoor Street in the Ladbroke Grove area of London, pleaded guilty to violent disorder, as well as possession with intent to supply Class A drugs, and two charges of possession with intent to supply Class B drugs.
The court heard the father-of-three was found with around £22,000 to £40,000 of cocaine after the brawl.
He was also found with ketamine and cannabis.
Lauder-Hawkins had usually kept the drugs in his family home, it was heard, but had asked his father-in-law to keep them whilst he went on holiday, with police later raiding the property.
Laura Morgan, mitigating, told the court that when Lauder-Hawkins was very young, his father left the childhood home and he was raised by his uncle, but he was "not a positive influence".
She said: "This is a man who is clearly suffering from a number of conditions.
"He is a family man, who has a young autistic daughter who relies on him. His partner is now faced with raising three children on her own."
Ms Morgan said that the defendant admitted the drug offences in a voluntary police interview to stop his father-in-law from getting into trouble.
Judge Nicholas Rowland said: "You were a leading role in instigating this.
"A professional cage fighter, you are also a professional football hooligan and a drug dealer.
"It was normal for you to be in contact with criminal gangs when you were growing up. Sadly you grew up with violence as a way of life."
He was jailed for a total of seven years and six months, and handed a ten-year football banning order.
He was one of four defendants appearing at Southampton Crown Court on Thursday to be sentenced, bringing the total appearing there so far to 16.
READ MORE: Ringleader organised Southampton FC v Spurs brawl then fled
Alfie Blackford, 26, of Lavender Close in Waltham Cross, Herts, received 18 months imprisonment and an eight-year football banning order.
The court heard that Blackford had a history of football hooliganism and was known to the dedicated football policing unit from prior incidents.
His wife is expected to give birth to their first child next week, though Blackford will be in prison.
He was given a separate football banning order, for bringing alcohol into a sporting venue, just one month after the fight.
READ MORE: Spurs football thug jailed over brawl with Southampton fans
Kray Bennett, 24, of Grovedale Close in Waltham Cross, Herts, received eight months imprisonment and a six-year football banning order.
The judge heard that Bennett had gone to kick someone near the start of the fight, and punched another man in a doorway near the end.
Luke Leadbitter, 25, of Fleming Close in Waltham Cross, Herts, received 10 months imprisonment and a six-year football banning order.
The judge heard that during the incident, Leadbitter threw two items, and had initially told police that the fight had not been planned.
In mitigation, his defence said he had attended football games since "without incident".
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article