This is the face of a thug who attacked an innocent man in revenge for a gang shooting – leaving him requiring surgery to remove his spleen.
Jake Tyrer, 21, and two friends launched the unprovoked assault on their victim at a chip shop in Finch Lane, Knotty Ash.
Liverpool Crown Court heard that Tyrer believed the man had been involved in an incident when he was shot in the leg.
But Graham Pickavance, prosecuting, said their victim had nothing to do with the shooting.
Tyrer was locked up for 20 months yesterday.
The court heard he went into the takeaway at around 10.30pm on January 28 last year.
Mr Pickavance said Tyrer, of Winstone Road, Dovecot, approached him and said: “Are you from the farm?”
When the man replied ‘no’ Tyrer started punching him in the face and he fell to the floor, where he was repeatedly punched and kicked.
The victim pleaded with the gang to stop and begged staff for help as he tried to protect himself.
He briefly blacked out but managed to stand up and climb over the counter, despite the gang trying to drag him outside.
Victim will need antibiotics for the rest of his life
However, Mr Pickavance said staff refused to help the victim and told him to leave.
The man went to hospital with bruising to his face and body and internal bleeding from his spleen.
Doctors were forced to remove the organ, which filters blood and is an important part of the immune system.
The court heard he will need to take antibiotics for the rest of his life.
CCTV footage of the assault was circulated to police, who recognised two of the attackers.
Mr Pickavance said a 15-year-old boy – who cannot be named for legal reasons – was seen to throw a kick at the victim.
The teenager was given a two-year youth rehabilitation order and four-month home curfew in August 2014.
Tyrer, who was not arrested until this year, was captured on CCTV punching the man three times.
Mr Pickavance said: “He clearly attacked him because he thought he was someone he wasn’t.
“He was an innocent man. He was not from Cantril Farm where this defendant believed he came from.”
Tyrer, also known as Jake Barlow, admitted inflicting grievous boidly harm. He has no previous convictions.
Tom Watson, defending, said Tyrer had himself been the victim of mistaken identity when he was shot.
He said the victim had merely gone into a chip shop and was minding his own business.
‘Utterly outrageous behaviour’
Mr Watson said: “The defendant’s behaviour fuelled by alcohol, however mistaken he may have been, was utterly outrageous.
“He offers his apology to the victim.”
Mr Watson said Tyrer did not hand himself into police because he “was guilty of burying his head in the sand”.
He said he cared for his 35-year-old dad, who has suffered a stroke, and his 83-year-old grandmother.
Mr Watson said Tyrer was ashamed and the attack was out of character.
Judge Andrew Menary, QC, said it was ironic that Tyrer as the victim of a mistaken identity shooting also carried out a misguided attack.
He said: “This was a revenge attack on someone who had nothing to do with your previous incident.”
Judge Menary jailed Tyrer for 20 months.
He said: “As a result of popping out for a takeaway that night he has suffered a serious and what will be for him a lifelong injury.
“This was utterly outrageous behaviour.”
Source: http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/