“It was a numb feeling. You do not imagine one thing like that would occur to certainly one of your mates,” Barton City defender Jack Bulless says.
Bulless, who additionally performed with James at Bridlington City, ought to have been a part of the group on the day journey to York however pulled out because of sickness.
Andy Norfolk, a long-time buddy and team-mate, did be a part of James and their associates.
“I keep in mind the Manchester derby being on tv within the bars we visited,” says Norfolk.
“It was an annual Christmas get-together, a day journey, nothing too heavy. We arrived again on the station to go dwelling early.
“I ended up getting a taxi again to Hull because the prepare was not for an additional hour. I keep in mind Hitchy saying he was going to get some meals.”
It was the final time Norfolk noticed his buddy.
Leeds Crown Court docket heard James suffered a fracture to his cranium and mind injury when he fell to the ground after being punched on the suitable facet of the again of his head.
Recalling that day, April says: “I’d simply put Freddie to mattress after I acquired a name to say James had been hit, that he was unconscious, and was on his approach to hospital.
“At that time I believed he had concussion and I wanted to pack a bag as a result of he was solely going to be in for a day or two.
“Once I acquired to the hospital they defined that he wanted to be transferred to the intensive care unit at Hull Royal Infirmary. He was on a life assist machine till he misplaced the battle.”
Mckenzie Dicicco, who was then 22, was jailed for six years and eight months in July 2025 after pleading responsible to manslaughter for what choose Man Kearl mentioned was a “cowardly, deliberate and cruel assault on a person who had no probability to defend or brace himself”.
Talking after the decision, April described being “misplaced and alone because the love of my life was so selfishly taken from me”.
James’ father, Chris, who used to take his son to Elland Highway to observe David O’Leary’s Leeds staff within the late 90s, says his life has modified perpetually due to “one mindless act”.
“I do not stay any extra – I exist,” he says.
“I attempt to be pleased, I attempt to do issues and I put a courageous face on. But it surely’ll by no means be the identical once more for me.”