A police officer was forced to stop Alex Shannon with a baton to his face
Alex Shannon
Alex Shannon(Image: Alan Dempsey)
A man was seriously injured after being struck by a scrambler bike rider who was weaving in and out of a crowd of Liverpool fans heading to a match. Alex Shannon drove backwards and forwards trying to dodge police as they tried to stop him from riding through the crowds.
An officer hit Shannon in the face with a baton to stop his dangerous antics, causing him to fall from the bike which then hit Charles Chesworth. The 72-year-old Liverpool fan spent three days in hospital and required further treatment due to serious complications from lung injuries.
A judge, who saw CCTV footage of his activity, told 32-year-old Shannon on Wednesday, June 11: “The circumstances of this incident are shocking.
“The reality of this sort of behaviour, riding scrambler or e-bikes at speed on roads or pavements, is becoming prevalent activity in some areas in this city where typically young men, dressed in black, ride in this way deliberately to intimidate the public.
“They think it is clever - the reality is it is immature, idiotic behaviour and nobody is impressed. It shows blatant disregard for public safety and causes understandable concern and annoyance to members of the public who are simply trying to go about their everyday lives.”
Liverpool Crown Court heard that the frightening incident happened at about 6.30pm on August 31, 2022 in the Stanley Park area as crowds of supporters, including families with young children, were on their way to a match against Newcastle.
Judge Andrew Menary KC told Shannon, who pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, that if he was being sentenced nearer to the date of the incident he would have sent him straight to jail.
He said he accepted that the delay was not Shannon’s fault and he has since received a community order to which he has responded well. He added: "You have come within a whisper of going to prison today."
Iain Criddle, prosecuting, had told the court that CCTV showed Shannon, who had a passenger, and another man riding two scrambler bikes weaving through crowds of pedestrians going to the game.
Mr Criddle said: “Police officers tried to stop him but he was deliberately driving backwards and forwards dodging them at speed. An officer decided the only way was to knock him off the bike with his baton.”
Judge Menary pointed out, “It seems a perfectly legitimate tactic, a desperate tactic but necessary in the circumstances.” He said that Shannon had ignored police shouts to stop and he drove “ever faster".
Mr Criddle explained that after Shannon fell from the machine it unfortunately collided with Mr Chesworth. He was later taken to Aintree Hospital where he was detained for three days with a broken rib, blood in his chest cavity and blunt cardiac injury.
In a victim impact statement Mr Chesworth told how went home after the incident but later began feeling unwell and was taken to hospital where his injuries were diagnosed.
Four months later he became breathless and was taken back into hospital where it was found he only had 10% capacity in one lung and he was detained for five days while fluid was drained from it. He was told such a situation can develop slowly and was the result of the collision.
He told how he had been going to Liverpool games for 50 years but now feels vulnerable when walking through Stanley Park to matches and his wife is anxious about his safety.
The court heard that Shannon, of Altfinch Close, Knotty Ash, has 11 previous convictions for 13 offences including drugs and last year received a community order for failing to provide a breath specimen and having no insurance.
Charles Lander, defending, said Shannon was in hospital for a week after the incident because of the injuries he suffered but he was not trying to minimise his behaviour. He stressed it happened nearly three years ago and he has been complying well with the community order.
The court heard that the injuries he suffered may cause permanent difficulties with his jaw or teeth. The defendant was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment suspended for 18 months and ordered to carry out 250 hours unpaid work and ten rehabilitation activity days.
Shannon, who has never taken a driving test, was also banned from driving for 12 months and until he sits an extended driving test.