A man who knocked out a student’s teeth at Liverpool’s city centre McDonald’s was a convicted murderer out of prison on day release, it can today be reported.
Paul Branchflower, 32, was jailed for life with a minimum of 13 years behind bars after mowing down Glynn Ellis, 46, in Manchester in 2002.
He was today found guilty of one count of assault.
Fighting broke out at 6am in the Lord Street restaurant on September 7 when Branchflower, together with an unidentified man, dressed in black, launched an attack.
Branchflower was said to have bounced around “like a boxer” before attacking Ross Stephenson and then casually waiting for his food afterwards.
Victim had to have emergency root canal
Mr Stephenson, 20, saw two teeth fly from his mouth and land by a pillar.
He was taken to hospital where his teeth were put into a glass of milk before undergoing emergency root canal treatment for dental damage, including a third fractured tooth.
Branchflower was jailed for life for running over and killing a man whose car he was stealing.
He ran over Manchester United fan Glynn Ellis, of Knaresborough, North Yorks, outside Mr Ellis’ brother’s home in Salford Quays in August 2002.
McDonald’s in Lord Street, Liverpool
Mr Ellis had parked his Ford Mondeo there after going to watch United beat Zalaegerszegi 5-0 in a Champions League match at Old Trafford.
He had left the engine running as he went to close the garage door.
Branchflower – who at 19 already had 47 previous convictions – leapt into the car and ran over Mr Ellis as he tried to drive away, leaving the vehicle on top of him.
Judge Andrew Menary, QC, adjourned sentencing until Wednesday after a jury guilty found him guilty of causing actual bodily harm to Mr Stephenson.
He was found not guilty of the same offence in relation to another man, Stuart Workman.
‘His teeth were knocked clean out’
Andrew Ford, prosecuting, said an argument developed between Lewis Gill, a friend of Mr Stephenson’s, and another man, before Branchflower intervened and “efficiently dispatched left and right punches to Ross Stephenson”.
Mr Ford said: “His teeth were knocked clean out. Branchflower was seen to stand like a boxer would before being tackled by the crowd.
“Ross Stephenson was stunned. He found his teeth on the ground. The defendant carried on waiting for his food.”
Branchflower was later traced and arrested after a police appeal was published in the ECHO.
He gave no comment in police interview.
Branchflower, of no fixed abode but originally from Manchester, represented himself during the trial.
Source: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/