A violent thug who bit a disabled man on the arm and subjected an elderly Atherton cemetery worker to a brutal and vicious robbery has been jailed today.
Jamie Evans, 32, of Bolton Road, Atherton, was handed a ten year jail-term at Liverpool Crown Court after pleading guilty to the robbery and a separate assault on a man at an earlier hearing.
Evans had kicked the door down on a disabled man’s Atherton home before punching him, biting his arm and threatening to stab him.
In another attack, a 73-year-old cemetery worker was left with permanent injuries following Evans’ vicious onslaught.
Detective Sergeant Nigel Rigby said: “These incidents were vicious, unprovoked and cowardly and the level of violence used, particularly in the robbery, to take a few items of little financial value was wholly unnecessary.
“The community was obviously appalled by the violent robbery. An appeal for witnesses in the media at the time brought forward important information that was crucial in bringing this man to justice.
“We would like to thank those people for coming forward and supporting the police through this difficult investigation. We would also like to thank the family for their support and patience throughout this lengthy process.”
The first incident took place on November 30 at around 7.30pm when a 73-year-old man who worked at Atherton cemetery saw Evans approach him as he was preparing to lock up.
The victim told him the cemetery was closed and Evans punched him in the face with enough force to knock him to the floor where he continued to attack him. He threatened to stab him and took a Nokia mobile phone, £20 cash, a car key and a torch.
The victim, who was knocked unconscious, was taken to hospital where he was treated for a fractured cheek bone, a serious cut to his lip and several other bruises to his ribs, body and neck. He suffered permanent sensory injuries as a result of the attack.
An investigation was launched and police released images of his injuries to the media to help encourage witnesses to come forward.
Crucially, the victim’s torch was handed in by a witness and the subsequent forensic examination found Evans’ DNA on it together with the victim’s. It was this evidence that finally enabled the police to charge Evans with the robbery.
Evans was also sentenced for an assault on a disabled man which took place shortly after midnight on December 30.
Evans went to a house on George Street in Atherton where he repeatedly kicked the door to get into the house. Once inside he went to the victim’s bedroom and repeatedly punched the victim in the face and threatened to stab him before he left.
The victim suffered extensive bruising to his face, a blooded nose and a bite to his arm.
DS Rigby said: “Evans is a violent man who targeted vulnerable people and thankfully he has now been put behind bars. I hope this sentence brings some comfort to his victims, the victim’s family and the community of Atherton.”
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