Attack fractured man’s face
AVAN driver and his cousin left a medical oxygen delivery driver needing surgery to repair broken bones in his face after a road rage dispute exploded into ferocious violence in Runcorn.
Trouble flared after the victim, 56-year-old Michael Corcoran, had been heading along Bridgewater Expressway towards the Mersey Gateway at around 2pm on August 10 last year when a silver van overtook and began driving slowly in front of his own ‘Air Liquide’ van.
Behind the wheel of the silver van was Aaron Law, 33, with his cousin William Law, 20, both from near Blackburn, Lancashire.
Philip Clemo, prosecuting, told Chester Crown Court that Mr Corcoran took the right turn towards the Central Expressway before turning right into Boston Avenue.
As he did, Mr Corcoran saw the other van nearby and Aaron Law reach out and hit his wing mirror.
The Air Liquide driver responded by calling over and spotted that the silver van had pulled over.
Mr Clemo said ‘words ended up being exchanged’, before Aaron Law ‘appeared and struck Mr Corcoran hard in the mouth’.
William Law then joined in and hit Mr Corcoran in the face, which then received further blows, and the victim realised he was bleeding.
The cousins then boarded their silver van again and left.
Mr Corcoran noted the signage on the van, then sought treatment first at a care home where his partner works and then in hospital where he was diagnosed with ‘multiple fractures to the face’, and a follow-up appointment was made.
Mr Clemo said: “It was noted by a surgeon that the sort of injuries that he received would have required at least three blows and the injury to the middle of his face would have required a very high-energy impact.”
He added that the surgeon’s diagnosis ‘scotched’ an early suggestion that the injuries might have resulted from the vehicle braking.
Police located the Law cousins. Aaron Law, of Booth Way, Tottington, Lancashire, said Mr Corcoran had ‘cut him up’ on the road and ‘driven aggressively’, and that outside the van, he had only deflected blows and had not punched Mr Corcoran, and had not seen William Law leave the van.
William Law, of Hazel Hall Lane, Ramsbottom, said Mr Corcoran had been ‘aggressive’, his cousin had only deflected blows, and that he himself had only pushed Mr Corcoran.
Mr Clemo said they ‘had a change of heart’ in the face of expert evidence.
They both pleaded guilty on the day of trial on October 10 this year to one count each of Section 20 assault causing grievous bodily harm (GBH).
A charge of criminal damage against Aaron Law was ordered to lie on file in court on Monday.
The prosecuting barrister read details from a victim personal statement that described how Mr Corcoran has been given a standby prescription that he can use if his face becomes infected during winter and it affects the plates in his face.
He is also ‘worried he wouldn’t survive’ if he had to undergo anaesthetic for any future surgery.
Mr Corcoran also had a brace fitted that needs to be adjusted every six months and leaves him pain for a week each time.
Other after-effects include night
● mares about not being able to care for his family, and he had to take taxis to his appointments at Aintree Hospital, costing him £48 each trip.
Mr Clemo added: “He feels lucky the incident didn’t go on any longer or he wouldn’t be here to tell the tale.”
He said Aaron Law had 14 convictions for 22 offences, including for assault occasioning bodily harm, but nothing since 2007.
William Law had no previous convictions.
James Coutts, defending William Law, said the probation service had recommended suspended any prison sentence and assessed his client as a low risk of harm and re-offending, and was ‘unlikely to darken the doors of the court again’.
He said the violence had stunned his client’s girlfriend, telling the court:
“He accepts behaviour was appalling.
“I think his partner described it best.
“She can’t believe what an idiot he’s been.”
Simon Parry, defending Aaron Law, said his client had been out of trouble since 2007 and that the probation service believed he could be dealt with without an immediate prison sentence.
He said: “He had been settling down and this offence was very much a blip.
“He had been out of trouble for a significant period of time.”
The judge, Recorder Of Chester Steven Everett, sentenced William Law to 15 months, suspended for 18 months, with 120 hours unpaid work, and £750 to pay in compensation.
Aaron Law was sentenced to 21 months in prison, suspended for 18 months, with 120 hours unpaid work, £750 compensation to pay and he must also complete a 35-day rehabilitation activity requirement along with the Resolve programme because of his past offending.
Passing sentence, Recorder Everett said: “This was a disgraceful incident, I see both of you understand that.
“It was a so-called road rage you got into.
“Whatever the rights and wrongs of the driving between you Aaron Law and the driver, you take a deep breath and carry on driving, you don’t stop, you don’t confront the other driver.”
He added: “I was frankly alarmed by the suggestion in the victim personal statement that you went off having a good laugh.
“I don’t know whether that’s right or not
“I don’t expect a response.
“It looks to me that you thought on that day it was a good thing.
“Clearly it was not. “It’s had a traumatic effect on him, he’s had to have operations to fix plates, that would be a truly traumatic experience.
“It’s affected him since then, physically and psychologically.”