A man who knocked out a groom-to-be wearing a wedding dress on his stag-do told police who arrested him 'it was funny', a court was told. Anthony Hughes, 28, told police 'I'm not a**ed what happens' after rendering his victim, David Baron, unconscious and lying in a pool of his own blood.
Mr Baron had been out on his stag do in Concert Square, Liverpool, before the celebration turned into a 'brawl from the wild west', the court heard, with a Good Samaritan who came to his aid being hit with a shovel after he and his friends had squared off with a group of workmen.
Liverpool Crown Court heard on Friday the stag party 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 Hughes - exiting the vehicle again, reports The Echo. The latter was subsequently seen on camera smoking a cigarette before punching one member of the stag party then 'retreating' to the van.
Mr 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 with Hughes - of Hilton Court in Netherton - punching two more members of the other group and being pulled away by colleagues several times.
He then ran at Mr Baron and delivered a "suckerpunch" 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 party member 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 man. At this, his victim returned to the van, armed himself with a spade and hit a man 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, who he had placed into the recovery position after spotting him lying injured in the road. Mr Watson was hit on the left elbow after raising his arm in order to protect him.
Coleman was also shown in the clip swinging the shovel towards a man, with several alarmed passers-by 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 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.
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."
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 high 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."
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."
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