A POLICE officer who was set to stand trial next month after being accused of assaulting a teenage football fan in Barnsley was found dead last week.
PC William Sampson - known as Billy - was due to go on trial on March 7 after he denied maliciously wounding a 16-year-old boy after the Barnsley FC and Sheffield Wednesday fixture on February 8, 2020.
The teenager was left with blood pouring from his head and following an investigation PC Sampson was charged nine months later.
It was revealed on Tuesday that PC Sampson was found dead in a property on Thorncliffe Lane, Chapeltown, last Friday afternoon.
A police spokesperson said: “We are incredibly saddened by news of Billy’s death.
“Our thoughts remain with Billy’s family and loved ones and they will be offered our full support.”
We have been at the heart of our community, every week, since 1858. The town and its people have changed dramatically since then but the Chronicle has been a constant.
It’s our belief that news should be available to everyone regardless of their circumstance. But we need a little helping hand to do so.
Production Editor, Ashley Ball, said: "In an ever changing media world, it’s important that news is reported correctly and without any hidden agenda.
Your support allows us to keep holding decision-makers to account and report on everything that happens in the town, good or bad, fairly."
