A thug who initiated the attack of a man in Liverpool city centre celebrated as he left court having been jailed.
Ryan Fagan, 40, had pleaded guilty to assault - causing actual bodily harm - for his involvement in an attack in Liverpool city centre in March. Fagan and co-defendant Kyle Johnson attacked Paul Buckley, 45, on Victoria Street in the early hours of March 1, 2022.
On Tuesday (June 21), Fagan was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court. However, the sentencing of Johnson was adjourned until August due to a delayed psychology report.
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The court heard that Mr Buckley attended a formal function in Liverpool city centre on February 28, 2022 and decided to remain in town after the event ended at around 11pm. Fagan was in the city centre with Johnson and others that night and they approached Mr Buckley on Victoria Street at around 3am.
CCTV footage from Victoria Street played in court showed Mr Buckley knocked to the ground by his attackers. Prosecuting barrister Chris Taylor said, at 3.23am on March 1, "for no apparent reason, Mr Fagan elbows the victim to the face". Defending barrister Tom Watson added: "Mr Fagan starts this incident off".
Mr Taylor said that Johnson, who had a bottle in his right hand, then punched the victim, while Fagan kicked out at Mr Buckley and pulled him "feet first", before Johnson hit him again with the bottle.
Mr Buckley's victim statement, read to the court by Mr Taylor, said he suffered a "large laceration" to his right eyebrow, which required nine stitches . Additionally, Mr Buckley said he has experienced "severe headaches on a daily basis" since the incident.
The 45-year-old was left with a scar above his eyebrow and said that the incident meant he lost the "confidence to go out" due to fears that his lasting injury would make him look like a "troublemaker". Mr Buckley's statement added that he "considered moving away from Liverpool" due to the lasting impact of the incident.
Fagan, who has 13 previous convictions, initially denied assault in a police interview and claimed he was defending himself. He then pleaded guilty to the assault in May.
Mr Watson said: "Everything snowballed from what he started" and it became an "appalling piece of street violence". However, he pointed to Fagan's conduct in custody since his arrest and a desire to turn his life around as mitigation.
Sentencing, Mr Recorder Imran Shafi, QC told Fagan: "Mr Buckley was approached by your group. "After which you have elbowed the complainant to the face and that was the start of the incident". The judge added, though it was hard to make out from the CCTV who had done what, Fagan was "doing his bit trying to kick and punch" the victim.
Recorder Shafi accepted that not all of Mr Buckley's injuries were caused by Fagan, but said that he initiated an "appalling episode of street thuggery". The judge said that the victim was "subject to a brutal assault and left with life-changing injuries."
Slamming Fagan's actions as "cowardly and despicable behaviour", the judge then told him: "You were intoxicated - fuelled by alcohol" and added that his claim of helping the victim was "plainly nonsense". Regarding Mr Buckley, Recorder Shafi said: "He was subject to a brutal assault and left with life-changing injuries".
The judge sentenced Fagan to 12 months in prison. Afterwards, Fagan thanked Recorder Shafi, before letting out a loud cheer of "get in" as he left the courtroom.
The sentencing of Mr Johnson has been adjourned until August.
