An innocent member of the public was hit with a shovel as a stag party and a group of workmen brawled in the street.
The groom-to-be, who was wearing a wedding dress while out celebrating his upcoming nuptials with friends in Liverpool city centre, was knocked unconscious and lying in a pool of his own blood after being kicked out of a Concert Square bar. A judge today compared the scenes of violence as being akin to the "wild west", with one visiting drinker having also wrapped his belt around his fist and used it as a makeshift knuckleduster as he threw punches.
Liverpool Crown Court heard this afternoon, Friday, that the stags had been drinking in McCooley's on Wood Street on June 25 2021, but were ejected at around 6.30pm after flouting social distancing rules which were in place at the time - having been "mixing between tables". Nardeen Nemat, prosecuting, described how members of the group were walking along Fleet Street "loitering and play fighting" when they were approached by the workers - employees of a paving contractor - before they returned to their van.
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CCTV footage which was played to the court showed stag party member Gary Ollard then following them and shouting towards them, leading to the groundworkers - including James Coleman and Anthony Hughes - exiting the vehicle again. The latter was subsequently seen on camera smoking a cigarette before punching one stag and "retreating" to the van.
Groom David Baron, clad in a white wedding dress, then approached the door and was shown "pointing and saying something". Several workmen got back out of the dark grey-coloured vehicle after this, with Hughes - of Hilton Court in Netherton - punching two more members of the other group and being pulled away by colleagues several times.
The 28-year-old then ran at Mr Baron and delivered a "sucker punch" while he was facing in the opposite direction, knocking him out and leaving him sprawled on the ground. He proceeded to send a second stag to the floor with another blow, causing him to hit his head on the pavement, then struck a member of the public who had crowded around the unconscious bachelor.
Meanwhile, 37-year-old Ollard was seen on the video taking off his belt and wrapping it around the knuckles of his right hand then punching Coleman with the improvised weapon - seconds after this workman had hit another stag. At this, his victim returned to the van, armed himself with a spade and hit one male with it.
He then swung again and struck Alex Watson - a "Good Samaritan" with no connection to either group who had rushed to the aid of Mr Baron, whom he had placed into the recovery position after spotting him lying injured in the road with a pool of beside his head. Mr Watson was hit on the left elbow after raising his arm in order to protect the unresponsive casualty.
Coleman was also shown in the clip swinging the shovel towards a stag, with several alarmed passersby seen running away from him. Ollard, of Kay Grove in Milton Keynes, swung several more blows at another man with the belt still strapped around his hand, but appeared to miss.
The van was later driven towards the prone Mr Baron before he was pulled out of its path "just in time" by those tending to him. He suffered a 4cm gash to his head, as well as "multiple deep wounds to the back of his head" and was taken to the Royal Liverpool Hospital in an ambulance for treatment.
Mr Watson meanwhile was left with a scar on his elbow, having required eight stitches to close an injury to this area. He was also left unable to lift heavy weights or extend the joint fully more than a year on.
In a statement which was read out to the court on his behalf, the complainant said: "This incident shook me up at the time. I would still do the same thing again, as I was trying to help an injured person."
Coleman - who described "seeing a white flash" when receiving the blow from Ollard - was taken to Aintree Hospital in the aftermath of the incident, with a cut below his right eye requiring six stitches. He also suffered a fractured eye socket during the altercation.
The 27-year-old - of Menai Road in Bootle - told police upon his arrest "it was self-defence", while Ollard claimed he was "defending himself and his friends". After being detained later the same evening, Hughes said: "Why did I even throw a dig?
"Why did I do it? I don’t know why.
"I hit that kid. Why didn’t I just keep my hand to myself and do nothing?"
He then began laughing and added: "I’m just thinking about what happened, and it was funny wasn’t it? Nah, it wasn’t funny.
"I’m not a**ed what happens anyway. I was only protecting myself."
Under interview, Hughes gave an account of finishing work for the day at around 2.30pm before visiting the Lime Kiln - a Wetherspoons pub on Concert Square - with around six colleagues and consuming "one or two" pints of Carling and a shot of tequila. He claimed that they had gone to another establishment where the stag party "started on them", with one of the other number having kicked the works van after they left.
The former rigger has eight previous convictions for 10 offences. Jonathan Keane, defending Hughes, told the court: "He is not the initial aggressor.
"This defendant, unlike the others, remained unarmed throughout. He merely used his fists.
"It isn't too late for him to turn his life around. He is sorry for his actions.
"He speaks with pride about his family and he enjoys the part he plays in his children's lives. He has made progress since the incident.
"He tells me he used to use cannabis regularly, but he tells me he no longer uses it and he has also taken steps to reduce his cocaine use. These are factors which paint more positive aspects on this defendant's character.
"He has a long history of employment. The defendant knows if he is given an opportunity today it would be his absolute last chance to build on his progress during the time which has elapsed since this offence."
Coleman has a total of 10 sets of convictions for 15 offences. Jim Smith, appearing on his behalf, said: "The defendant knows this is a significant incident of public disorder, for which he is disgusted and ashamed.
"He extends his well wishes and apologises to the victim in this case, in addition to innocent members of the public who had to witness the unfolding of this incident. He had suffered a serious injury after having been assaulted, and his judgement and clarity was impaired.
"There must have been words exchanged. What is clear is that all parties are to blame for the disturbance that unfolded.
"What is clear is that he is not the first to be seen as using violence. He, since this incident 22 months ago, has not troubled the police.
"He has led a law-abiding lifestyle. He is somebody who is helpful and generous to others.
"He has now started his own business and has employees. There has been a maturation process here, and a substantial one.
"It is unfortunate that, in a momentary lapse of his own judgement and madness, he involved himself in this disturbance - but there is much to be said in relation to his character. He has changed his life completely and shown every effort to rehabilitate himself."
Ollard's nine previous convictions for 11 offences include a count of wounding in relation to a "glassing in a public house" in 2009. Rebecca Smith said her client had suffered from a "difficult, traumatic childhood experiences" and mental health issues, adding: "Effectively, the stag party were in his spirits and undoubtedly have consumed alcohol.
"Mr Ollard, rightly or wrongly, believed words were exchanged and believed spittle had been directed towards Mr Barron while he was on the floor. Mr Ollard accepts his responsibility in a brawl in the middle of the street at teatime.
"It is quite frankly remarkable there are not more people in the dock facing proceedings. He has a marked difference in his attitude and behaviour and what he is trying to achieve at this stage of life - the court can be satisfied he would never be back before the courts behaving in this way."
Hughes admitted wounding without intent and affray. He was jailed for two years.
Coleman pleaded guilty to affray and possession of an offensive weapon in a public place. He was handed 21 months behind bars.
Ollard admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm, affray and possession of an offensive weapon in a public place. He was given a two-year imprisonment suspended for two years plus 180 hours of unpaid work, a rehabilitation activity requirement of up to 35 days, a three-month electronically monitored curfew from 7pm to 7am and a 90-day alcohol abstinence requirement.
Sentencing, Recorder Richard Conway said: "Suffice to say, this was an incident of public disorder of the worst possible kind - occurring as it did in a busy area in the city centre, where there were numerous members of the public hoping to enjoy an evening out with friends and family. They all had to observe and witness a street brawl of a kind that you might expect to see in the wild west, but not necessarily in Liverpool city centre at teatime.
"It was an incident which involved the use of serious and uncontrolled violence and the use of makeshift weapons, intended to inflict as much damage to others as possible. It is exactly the sort of behaviour these courts are required to stamp out by the imposition of tough sentences - this is wholly unacceptable behaviour in a civilised society.
"This is a case in which, essentially, there was a perfect storm of two groups - both heavily intoxicated, both with a predisposition towards violence, both containing people with antecedent records for offences of violence. Both sets of men were prepared to enter into this incident of disorder quite willingly and enthusiastically."
To Hughes, the judge said: "You were one of the most enthusiastic perpetrators of this act of continued violence. You entered the arena on at least three occasions, facing off against men in the opposing group and striking a number of serious blows.
"What makes your role particularly frightening was that not one but two of your victims crashed to the floor, banging their heads against the flagstones on the street - it was excruciating to watch. These courts come across cases where a single punch results in death.
"You are fortunate you didn't kill two people on that day. It was extremely fortunate that neither of those men lost their lives or sustained more serious injuries than they did."
Recorder Conley said to Coleman: "Your role, frankly, was almost staggering to watch. You were prepared to arm yourself with a spade and swing it indiscriminately at people, most of all at one person who was there to help and was nothing to do with the violence - coming to the aid of a man who was unconscious on the ground.
"That did not seem to bother you. You were either so enraged or drunk that it did not matter to you who was on the sharp end of that spade as you swung it repeatedly."
Turning to Ollard, he added: "You also armed yourself by taking off your belt and wrapping it round your first. Your actual role in the violence was much more peripheral than the others involved - you were mostly standing on the sidelines.
"When you went flying into the melee and threw a punch at Mr Coleman, causing the injury you did. It could perhaps be said that you sought to intervene and protect your associate as a result of what had just happened to him.
"This is a serious offence and you are very lucky that you are not going straight into custody. This is your one chance - do not blow it."
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