Mob ringleader jailed for attack on 'utterly defenceless and innocent man' in Blackburn town centre

Only the ringleader of the mob was arrested after the savage attack outside a town centre snooker hall which left the victim scarred for life.

But John Moir refused to name his accomplices and they could not be identified despite CCTV footage of the prolonged assault, Preston Crown Court was told.

The 49-year-old, who has stayed silent for nine months since his arrest, was jailed for more than seven years for playing the lead role in the unprovoked beating. He pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm.

Sending him down Judge Ian Unsworth KC told him he was a “high risk”, and a long prison sentence was the only way to protect the public.

And he appealed to the police “to identify and bring to court all the others involved”.

“This was ugly and violent in the extreme,” he said. “It was unprovoked, spontaneous and wanton violence on a public street.”

Addessing Moir he added: “You say you have no memory of the events (of that night) because you were intoxicated. But you do know the identities of those with you.

“If you are (as you say) remorseful you would tell the authorities for them to be brought to justice. But you have chosen not to.”

The court was told the attack happened at around 10:20pm on a Saturday night in February on King Street in Blackburn town centre.

CCTV played in court showed the victim leaning against a car when he was approached by Moir and another man. As two more males approached the victim was floored with a punch to the face.

When he tried to get away he was chased and subjected to a barrage of kicks and blows, leaving him slumped motionless on the pavement.

More men arrived and there were further punches and kicks before they all retreated to a nearby snooker club.

The TV footage showed the man still lying on the ground and not moving, but the group led by Moir returned. The victim was then dragged “like a rag doll” along the footpath before being further assaulted.

When the group decided to move on Moir was seen celebrating and chest bumping with another member of the group.

The injured man was taken by ambulance to the Royal Blackburn Hospital where he was found to have fractures to an eye socket, both sides of his nose and a serious gash across the bridge of the nose which required eight stitches and has now left a permanent scar.

In a victim impact statement he told the court he had since suffered from headaches, stress and anxiety and he was scared of going out in an evening. He also had damage to a nerve at the side of one of his eyes for which he was still under treatment.

Prosecution barrister Megan Tollitt said Moir had 34 previous offences on his criminal record including several involving violence.

Clare Thomas, for Moir, said her client had no recollection of the events that night due to intoxication. He had previous convictions for violence, but the majority of his offending had been “low level”.

She said there had been gaps in his offending and this was a “momentary relapse” for him because he had found himself homeless and taking drugs and regularly drinking too much.

Sentencing Moir, of New Wellington Street, Blackburn, Judge Unsworth told him the victim had been “an utterly defenceless and innocent man who was minding his own business.”

He said he had confronted the man and “for no reason at all” initiated the attack. As it went on it would have been obvious he was seriously injured and needed medical attention but he hadn’t lifted a finger to help him”.

Seen on CCTV afterwards celebrating by chest bumping another of the gang, the judge said they were “glorifying” the violence they had inflicted on their victim.

He said the scar across the man’s nose would be a permanent reminder to him of the awful events of that night. The attack, he said, had been a persistent and prolonged one.

The judge told Moir the starting point for the seriousness of the offence was seven years in prison but he increased that to eight due to the extent of the man’s injuries and then to nine because of his previous history of violent offending.

He reduced it by 20 per cent to seven years two months following his guilty plea.

On top of that he felt an extended sentence was necessary because he considered Moir to be a danger to the public and so added a further four years on licence to serve following his release, making a total sentence of 11 years two months.