Boxing Day evening that left 7 men in prison and another fighting for life

What started as one man brushing against another on the dance floor of a nightclub led to a boxer being stabbed in the heart.

The former bonded warehouse on Victoria Street, which once housed the nightclub known as Safehouse, is now empty, but on last year’s boxing night it was a bustling hive of festivities. Among those celebrating with his friends was Anthony Dodson.

Aged 21, the promising young boxer had ambitions to follow in the footsteps of his father, Tony Dodson, who had achieved professional success and once held the British super middleweight title. He was making progress in that regard too, winning the Merseyside and Cheshire Youth Championship final and progressing to the quarter-finals of the National Championships while fighting at Gemini Boxing Club in Speke.

In a matter of hours, his dreams of sporting success would be shattered. Far worse than that, he would be lying moments from death on a cold, dark and damp street in Liverpool city centre.

Also present at the same venue after the start on December 27 were Milne Critchley, Adam Draper, Lee Duffy, Jordan Kinsella, Eugene Mason-Lamb, George Miller and Cameron Quinn. Despite his young age, a 16-year-old boy had managed to make his way alongside them.

The events which unfolded over a period of just 15 minutes also saw their lives turned upside down, with some even desperately trying to flee to France as illegal stowaways in a truck. And yet it all started so innocuously when, around 5 a.m., Kai Robinson, a member of Mr. Dodson’s group, brushed past Miller while he was dancing with a woman.

Looks and words were exchanged. It was almost nothing. And yet, as Mr. Robinson returned from the bar moments later, Miller struck him with a blow that sparked a melee that spilled into the street and led to one man being stabbed twice in the heart.

Draper was next to join the attack, raining down punches of his own. Duffy had clearly anticipated the possibility of trouble that evening, having armed himself with a knife before going out on the town, and he had no hesitation in pulling out that blade and brandishing it inside the very busy bar.

He and the teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, then began literally ramming the boot into Mr Robinson after he fell to the ground. One of the victim’s friends, Sam Finley, tried unsuccessfully to break up the fighting, but was hit in the head with a bottle of Disaronno thrown by Quinn.

Quinn, Duffy, Critchley, Miller and two unknown men were all removed from the facility at rainy dawn by security following this first explosion, followed out of the gate by Kinsella, the youth and several women in their company. Some members of their party attempted to return, unsuccessfully, before Mr Robinson appeared, his black t-shirt torn at the left shoulder following the altercation.

Alone and isolated in the street, he tried to reason with his attackers but had no choice but to defend himself. He raised his fists at Critchley but, heavily outnumbered, was quickly attacked.

Mr Robinson was kicked and punched. The boy threw a bottle into the scuffle before arming himself with part of a large metal fan and swinging the improvised weapon at his target’s head.

Another friend, Alex Murphy, tried to help the victim, but was stabbed by Quinn with a shard of broken glass. Duffy followed suit by hitting him, but luckily missing, with his knife.

Door staff eventually managed to get Mr Robinson back into the club, but not before Critchley and Duffy threw further blows in his direction. However, he was still far from safe inside the shelter, having been punched and kicked in the head by another attacker.

While Mr Murphy was escorted into a waiting taxi, Mr Robinson and Mr Dodson were let out of the bar onto Peter Street. A crowd of at least ten men was waiting for them.

The latter was punched by Critchley and punched by Miller, while the teenager threw other objects in his direction. The two men were chased down Peter Street towards Whitechapel, with Mr Dodson caught by the pack and surrounded by a group also containing Duffy and Kinsella. He was violently attacked and, at one point, stabbed in the chest.

The injured man reached Church Street before collapsing. Emergency services rushed to his aid. If they hadn’t discovered him so quickly, he might have died from his injuries. Liverpool Crown Court heard he continues to “face an uncertain prognosis” with his heart still not functioning properly to this day.

But his attackers seemed pleased with themselves. Duffy and Miller were filmed shadowboxing on CCTV as they left the area. Meanwhile, Draper hid a locking knife in an industrial bin near the German Doner Kebab.

However, in the sober light of day, reality began to set in. The Givenchy sweater Critchley wore that evening was later found charred in Everton’s Thirlmere Park alongside several burned-out phones in a bid to destroy evidence linking it to him. his fellow attackers on the scene. He, Draper, Quinn and another man, Luke Bowland, were later arrested after trying to flee to Europe in the back of a HGV stopped in Calais on January 2.

It was never established who was responsible for the stabbing of Mr Dodson, but charges of grievous bodily harm were brought against him as part of joint enterprise. Steven Ball, prosecuting, told the jury at a trial in July: “There was a swarm of people who used violence during the attack on him at the bottom of Peter Street, an attack in which he was outnumbered, surrounded, attacked, overpowered and overpowered. unable to defend himself. The real perpetrator(s) of the stabbing, the man(s) with the knife, remains unknown, although a number of pretenders were close at hand.

“This was a joint enterprise, and these defendants had a common goal that, according to the prosecution, they should all take responsibility for their collective actions and their results. In this case, there were parties secondary parties who aided, abetted, advised or provoked this attack and as such are complicit in it.

“These men all intended to cause serious harm – whether with knives, fists or feet. In simple terms, we are saying that everyone who chased the men down Peter Street was guilty of serious violence and intended, in this collective attack, to cause serious injury.

“You can convict the defendants if you are sure that they participated through their encouragement or support. This encouragement could be inferred from their presence or gestures or their physical support by joining in, watching over or being present ready to support their friends.”

The subsequent guilty verdicts sparked outbursts of fury as supporters stormed out of the courtroom, with one woman shouting “bad snitches” as she did so and one man adding “little turds of grass.” The defendants themselves followed suit when they returned to court for sentencing on Monday, calling the judge a “casual” and a “pedophile” as they were led to the cells to begin prison sentences totaling more than 50 years old.

Critchley, of Sprucewood Close in Anfield, was found guilty of wounding with intent, after admitting violent disorder. Wailing was heard in the public gallery and a woman left in tears as the 21-year-old was sentenced to 10 years in prison, two-thirds of which he must serve behind bars before he can be released.

Draper, of St David’s Road in Huyton, was found guilty of unlawful wounding by a jury. The 21-year-old was sentenced to four years in prison and will be subject to a two-year serious violence reduction order upon his release.

Miller, of no fixed address, admitted violent disorder but was convicted of wounding with intent. Further groans were heard in court as the 20-year-old was jailed for 10 years, of which he must serve at least two-thirds.

Quinn, of Swanside Road in Huyton, was found guilty of two counts of wounding with intent, after pleading guilty to violent disorder. The 21-year-old stood with his arms crossed in the dock then shrugged his shoulders as he was jailed for 12 years, two-thirds of which he must serve, while a co-accused patted him on the back.

Kinsella was found guilty of unlawful wounding, after admitting violent disorder. The 29-year-old, of Harrogate Drive in Everton, nodded as he was jailed for four years.

Duffy, of Whitefield Way in Everton, was convicted of unlawful wounding, attempted unlawful wounding and possession of a sharp article in a public place. The 19-year-old also pleaded guilty to violent disorder and was sentenced to six years in a young offenders’ institute.

Mason-Lamb, who allegedly acted as a lookout in the latter part of the incident, admitted violent disorder but was cleared of intentional wounding and unlawful wounding. Shouts of ‘yes’ and applause were heard from the public gallery as the 30-year-old, of Hodder Road in Everton, was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment suspended for 18 months, 100 hours’ work unpaid and an 18-month rehabilitation activity requirement. up to 25 days.

The youth, now aged 17, was found guilty of two counts of wounding with intent and admitted violent disorder. He was sentenced to five and a half years in a young offenders institute.

At least four other people believed to have been involved in the incident have never been identified. Ironically, given his efforts to flee the country, Bowland was “excluded from any participation in the violence.” Meanwhile, the Safehouse had its license suspended in the days following December 27 and was closed by Liverpool City Council.

Judge Stuart Driver KC said in his sentencing remarks: “Anthony Dodson found himself separated and alone. He was surrounded and he was punched, kicked and stabbed. His injuries were certainly serious. his life in danger.

“He is lucky to be alive. Emergency services reached him almost immediately as he lay in the street. Without this, it is likely his family would have suffered a tragedy and these defendants would have been charged with homicide.

“He has not fully recovered. An eyewitness described these defendants as behaving like a pack of animals. No reasonable person could disagree with that.”