A judge has blasted a scrambler bike rider’s “immature, idiotic behaviour” for leaving a pensioner seriously injured when he ploughed into crowds of Liverpool fans on their way to a match. Reds fan Charles Chesworth, 72, was left sprawling on the ground after show-off Alex Shannon weaved in and out of crowds heading to Anfield to see the team beat Newcastle United 2-1 on August 31, 2022.
Liverpool Crown Court heard Shannon, 32, had crazed antics that were only stopped when a police officer struck him in the face with his baton to bring his terrifying behaviour to a halt. When Shannon fell from the machine, it ploughed into Mr Chesworth, leaving him in hospital for three days, and he had to return for further inpatient treatment when serious complications arose with his lung injuries.
Sentencing him on Wednesday after watching shocking CCTV of his dangerous riding, Judge Andrew Menary KC told Shannon he was “deliberately” trying to “to intimidate the public.”
The judge added: “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.”
The frightening incident happened at about 6.30pm in the Stanley Park area as crowds of supporters, including families with young children, were on their way to a match against Newcastle.
Judge Menary told Shannon, who admitted dangerous driving, that had been sentenced nearer to the date of the incident he would have sent him straight to jail.
But as he has already responded well to a an interim community order, he could avoid jail. He added: “You have come within a whisper of going to prison today.”
Prosecutor Iain Criddle told how CCTV showed Shannon, who had a passenger, and another man rode two scrambler bikes into 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 Shannon ignored police shouts to stop and he drove “ever faster.”
Mr Criddle explained how, after Shannon fell from the machine, it unfortunately collided with Mr Chesworth.
He was treated in Aintree Hospital 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 he went home after the incident but later began feeling unwell and was taken to the 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 said 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 Knotty Ash, Liverpool, 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 that 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.
Shannon was handed a 12-month suspended sentence and ordered to carry out 250 hours unpaid work and ten rehabilitation activity days.
The criminal, who has never taken a driving test, was also banned from driving for 12 months and until he sits an extended driving test.
