[F]our men who brutally assaulted one man and kidnapped another in Morecambe and Lancaster have been jailed for a total of more than 50 years.
On September 5th last year the group, from the Merseyside area, forced their way into an address on Sefton Road, Morecambe and demanded money from the occupant, a 44 year old man. They slashed him to the face, head and hands and hit him with a baseball bat before fleeing the scene.
Shortly afterwards they drove to Lancaster city centre where they forced a vulnerable 39 year old man into their car before they assaulted him and threatened to take him to Liverpool where he would be subjected to further harm.
This incident happened in broad daylight and was witnessed by members of the public who were able to provide police with part of the vehicle registration number.
The vehicle was then spotted in Lancaster City centre and quickly stopped by officers where all four men were arrested.
Today (Friday, April 28th) at Preston Crown Court John Edwards, 29, of Monfa Road, Bootle was sentenced to 19 years and four months for wounding with intent and kidnap and David Lee, 32, of Kevins Drive, Kirkby was sentenced to 19 years and four months for wounding with intent and kidnap.
Danny Noon, 19, of Askern Road, Liverpool was sentenced to eight years and nine months and Damian Yates, 29, of Melbourne Court, Liverpool was sentenced to nine and a half years, both for unlawful wounding and kidnap.
Detective Inspector Mark Dickinson said: “These attacks were carried out in broad daylight, one in a busy city centre, and displayed extreme violence. The impact on both the victims, people who witnessed the incidents and the wider community is significant. I would like to thank all those who reported what they witnessed to the police and assisted us with our investigation.
“We will not tolerate travelling criminals bringing violence to our towns and cities and we will pursue those who are involved in such activities through the courts. I hope the sentences handed out to the defendants today will act as a deterrent.”
