Formby Man Spared Jail After Violent Crime Spree Left Pensioner Seriously Injured

Jack Leatherbarrow

A Formby man has been spared an immediate prison sentence after a shocking series of offences that left an elderly woman with serious injuries and several members of the public distressed.

Liverpool Crown Court heard how Jack Leatherbarrow, 27, of Golf Road in Formby, carried out a chaotic crime spree after stealing wine from a shop and fleeing into nearby homes and vehicles.

The incident began on 2 February this year when Leatherbarrow entered a convenience store on Liverpool Road in Ainsdale and stole two bottles of wine. When staff attempted to stop him, he fled the store and jumped over a wall into the property of 67 year old Deborah Lally.

Leatherbarrow entered the couple’s home through the open front door while being pursued. Mrs Lally’s husband had been outside in their Mercedes but ran inside when he realised what was happening, leaving the car keys in the ignition.

The court heard that Leatherbarrow was flailing his arms and speaking incoherently while still holding the bottles of wine. He then left the house and got into the couple’s Mercedes, locking the doors as Mrs Lally tried to stop him from driving away.

As he drove off, Mrs Lally’s husband jumped clear of the vehicle, but Mrs Lally was struck by the car’s wing mirror and knocked to the ground.

She suffered serious injuries to her face, chin, wrists and knees, including a bleeding wound to her cheek. Photographs shown in court revealed significant bruising and grazing across her body.

The stolen Mercedes was then driven around seven miles before crashing into a stone wall at a farmhouse in Downholland, narrowly missing a child’s trampoline by only a few metres.

After abandoning the crashed vehicle, Leatherbarrow approached another nearby home belonging to nurse Helena Coyne. Seeing that he appeared injured, Ms Coyne allowed him inside so he could call an ambulance.

Instead, while her back was turned, he took the keys to her Land Rover and drove off in the vehicle. That car was later found crashed in a field on Moss Lane.

The court heard that Leatherbarrow then climbed into the back seat of another car when a passing motorist stopped to check if he was alright and asked to be taken to Tesco. The driver later contacted police when he refused to leave the vehicle.

When officers arrived they found Leatherbarrow appearing heavily under the influence, with slurred speech, dried blood around his nose and difficulty standing.

He later refused to provide a sample for drug testing while in custody.

Leatherbarrow admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm, burglary, aggravated vehicle taking, criminal damage, driving without insurance and failing to provide a specimen for analysis.

During sentencing, the judge described the impact of the offences on the victims as significant.

The court heard that Mrs Lally was left with severe bruising and injuries that have had a lasting effect on her wellbeing. The traumatic incident has also had a serious impact on her mental health.

Ms Coyne told the court that the ordeal had taken an overwhelming emotional toll, leaving her feeling unsafe in her own home with her young daughter.

Sentencing him, Recorder Nicholas Flanagan said the consequences of Leatherbarrow’s actions could not be understated and that several innocent people were injured or left deeply distressed.

The judge said Leatherbarrow had been clearly under the influence of drugs and alcohol during the incident and that the decisions he made that day had caused significant harm to others.

However, the court also heard that Leatherbarrow had no previous convictions, had sought help for substance misuse and had voluntarily entered rehabilitation.

Taking those factors into account, he was sentenced to two years in prison suspended for two years.

The sentence also includes:

• 100 hours of unpaid community work

• Up to 30 days of rehabilitation activity

• Nine month drug rehabilitation requirement

• 120 day alcohol abstinence requirement

Leatherbarrow was also banned from driving for two years and must pass an extended driving test before returning to the road.

He was ordered to pay £1,000 compensation to Mrs Lally, £500 to Ms Coyne, £500 to the homeowner whose wall was damaged, and £20 to the shop he stole from.

The judge said that while the offences were extremely serious and could have easily resulted in an immediate prison sentence, the court had taken into account his previously good character and efforts to address his addiction issues.

However, he warned that the damage caused to innocent victims during the short but alarming crime spree would not be forgotten.