Two Brentford players were ‘left bloodied’ after they fought off a drunk man who racially abused a security guard.
Kevin Schade and Vitaly Janelt are named as the two players who who were intervened in the incident in Richmond, South West London, as they made their way home from a match against Leeds.
At the time, March 2026, Metropolitan Police spokesman said: “Police attended a report of an assault on Queen’s Road, Richmond at around 02:00hrs on Sunday, 22 March.
“Officers engaged with the victim. The investigation is ongoing and no arrests have been made at this time.”
Telegraph Sport have since given an update with the hearing since taken place at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.
Brentford’s Kevin Schade and Vitaly Janelt were the two players who fought off a drunk man who racially abused a security guard, it can now be revealed.
Telegraph Sport reported in March that two Brentford footballers had intervened after seeing the incident in Richmond while… pic.twitter.com/ZLVgsPP4nm
— Telegraph Football (@TeleFootball) August 18, 2026
A 63 year old pharmaceutical van driver, named David Wheeler, who had drunk “seven cans” of beer, racially abused Nigerian security guard Israel Ilesanmi, with Wheeler thinking Ilesanmi was a lookout for burglars.
Wheeler, who was filming Ilesanmi, called him a “c***” and added: “You’re not English. Why are you here? What are you looking for?”
Then Wheeler said to Schade and Janelt: “F— off, German f—— pricks”.
The unrepresented Wheeler, who initially denied the use of racist language, rejected the chance to plead guilty for a shorter sentence.
But after a break for lunch, he changed his plea when informed that a 999 call had picked up racism, while additionally claiming he only used the racist language “under duress”, with Wheeler claiming he was assaulted, was the victim of phone theft, and said to officers that he had a blurred memory, saying he didn’t know Ilesanmi was a security guard.
Judge Luis Williamson said to Wheeler, as reported by the Guardian: “The circumstances you found yourself in do not justify the language you used.
“If you feel you were the victim of crime, you can call 999 and you can register your own complaint.”
In mitigation, Wheeler said: “I was walking home from a lady friend’s. It’s a 20-minute walk.
“When I am walking in the dark part of the road on the hill, I can see a guy with a high-vis jacket. He’s on the common in the dark. I thought he was a policeman.
“As I got a bit closer, I turned around and seen it was a security jacket. I said to him ‘Hello, what’s happening mate around here?’ But he didn’t talk to me at all. His chest has gone down like a shy little boy.
“I thought: ‘There’s expensive houses on this road’. I thought: ‘He’s keeping a look out for burglars.’
“I was going home but three guys turned up in a German car. He did not jump out and say ‘Help me’. They have a quick chat with him so I started filming their reg plate.
“It’s all on a video which I have got. The driver of the German car says ‘Are you racist?’ so I just ignore him. Then he said: ‘Do you want your head punched in?’
“He’s moved his car about five yards, put his brakes on really hard. He’s come running more and backed off. I did not know whether he had a knife. He’s called me a ‘d*******’ and got back in the car.
“It did annoy me. I’m still filming him, I’m calling him a w***** and that, but no German you, German what or nothing.
“They come running out the car, punch me to the ground, snatch my phone. This is when that 999 call that I heard from the prosecutor. I was mortified that I actually used some racist language.
“It was heat of the moment. I was punched to the floor. These guys in the car, the Germans, they are athletes, less than half my age.
“They was all laughing at me. I could not get my phone back. I got some horrible language.
“The company I work for, I have been with them for 17 years. It’s multi-racial. I got sent education videos of inclusivity.”
Wheeler was told by the judge that duress requires a “very high bar”. Wheeler received a fine of one month’s wages at £1,699, including £150 compensation to Ilesanmi.
The judge Williamson goes on to say: “The circumstances you found yourself in do not justify the language you used. If you feel you were the victim of crime, you can call 999 and you can register your own complaint.
“This was an offence committed in drink, which makes the offending worse. But you have expressed a degree of remorse, not only for what happened but how you appear before the court.”
Here’s how social media users reacted as they read that the two Brentford players were ‘left bloodied’ after they fought off a drunk man who racially abused a security guard…
@transomek: When you’ve got two Brentford six-footers coming at you, you’d best back down pretty quickly.
@chairman_maggot: That’s it, Schade, you’re going straight to my fantasy team.
@anothermuser: I was having doubts on who to put on my Fantasy but that’s two names sorted!
@JackBFC3: Schade I’m sorry for anything I ever said about you you’re a hero
@EFC_FanAdvisory: Well done Kevin and Vitaly @BrentfordFC
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