Boxer Anthony Dodson was left close to death outside McDonald’s after being stabbed in the heart
Police at the scene on Victoria Street(Image: Liverpool Echo)
It was Boxing Night 2023, and the Safehouse on Victoria Street was braced for one of the busiest nights of the year. Among those out celebrating in the former bonded warehouse turned nightclub that evening were Anthony Dodson and his friends.
At only 21, the promising young boxer held ambitions of following in the footsteps of his dad, Tony Dodson, who had made it professionally within the sport and once held the British super middleweight title. The son was making considerable inroads himself, taking the Merseyside and Cheshire Youth Championship and making it to the quarter finals of the nationals while fighting out of Gemini Boxing Club in Speke.
Within hours, his dreams would be in tatters. Far worse, he would be lying mere moments away from death on a cold, dark and damp street in Liverpool city centre.
Delton Jones, Milne Critchley, Adam Draper, Lee Duffy, Jordan Kinsella, Eugene Mason-Lamb, George Miller and Cameron Quinn were also present in the same venue after the clock had ticked over into the early hours of December 27. Despite his tender age, a 16-year-old boy had managed to find his way in alongside them.
Events which went on to unfold over the course of no more than 15 minutes would see their lives turned upside down as well, with some even making desperate attempts to flee to France as illegal stowaways in a lorry in the aftermath. And yet it all began so innocuously when, at around 5am, Kai Robinson, a member of Mr Dodson’s group, brushed past Miller as he was dancing with a woman.
Looks and words were exchanged. It was something of nothing. And yet, when Mr Robinson made his way back from the bar a few moments later, Miller struck him with a blow that started a melee which would spill out into the street and lead to a man being stabbed twice in the heart.
George Miller(Image: Merseyside Police)
Draper was the next to join the attack, raining down punches of his own. Duffy had clearly been anticipating the possibility of some sort of trouble that evening, having armed himself with a knife before going out on the town, and he showed not a moment’s hesitation in pulling this blade out and brandishing it inside the busy bar.
Both he and the teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, then began quite literally sticking the boot into Mr Robinson after he had fallen to the floor. One of the victim’s friends, Sam Finley, attempted in vain to break up the fighting, but was instead struck across the head with a bottle of Disaronno thrown by Quinn.
Cameron Quinn(Image: Merseyside Police)
Quinn, Duffy, Critchley, Miller and two unknown males were all ejected from the establishment into the rainy dawn by security following this initial flare up, being followed out of the door by Kinsella, the youth and several females in their company. Some members of their party tried to get back in without success before Mr Robinson emerged, his black t-shirt ripped at the left shoulder as a result of the altercation.
Alone and isolated in the street, he tried to reason with his assailants but was left with no choice other than to defend himself. He raised his fists to Critchley but, vastly outnumbered, was quickly set upon.
Mr Robinson was kicked and punched. The boy hurled a bottle into the fracas before arming himself with part of a large metal fan and swinging the improvised weapon at their target’s head.
Another friend, Alex Murphy, attempted to come to the victim’s aid, but was stabbed by Quinn with a shard of broken glass. Duffy followed suit by slashing at him, but mercifully missing, with a knife.
Lee Duffy(Image: Merseyside Police)
Door staff were eventually able to bundle Mr Robinson back into the club, but not before Critchley and Duffy aimed further blows in his direction. He was still far from safe inside the Safehouse however, being punched and headbutted by another attacker.
While Mr Murphy was escorted into a waiting taxi, Mr Robinson and Mr Dodson were instead let out of the bar onto Peter Street. A crowd of at least 10 men were waiting for them.
The latter was punched by Critchley and kicked by Miller, while the teen launched further objects in his direction. The two men were pursued down Peter Street towards Whitechapel, with Mr Dodson being caught by the pack and surrounded by a group also containing Duffy and Kinsella. He was viciously assaulted and, at some stage, knifed in the chest.
Jordan Kinsella(Image: Merseyside Police)
The injured man made it as far as Church Street before he collapsed. Emergency services workers rushed to his aid. Had they not discovered him so quickly, he may well have died from his injuries. Liverpool Crown Court heard he continues to “face an uncertain prognosis”, with his heart still not functioning properly to this day.
But his attackers were seemingly pleased with themselves. Both Duffy and Miller were caught on CCTV shadowboxing as they left the area. Draper meanwhile stashed a lock knife inside an industrial bin near to German Doner Kebab.
In the sober light of day however, reality would begin to set in. The Givenchy jumper which Critchley had been wearing that evening was later found charred in Thirlmere Park in Everton alongside several burnt out phones in an attempt to destroy evidence which would link him and his fellow attackers to the scene. He, Draper, Quinn and another man, Luke Bowland, were then arrested after attempting to escape to Europe in the back of a HGV which was stopped in Calais on January 2.
Milne Critchley(Image: Merseyside Police)
It was never established who was responsible for Mr Dodson’s stabbing, but charges of inflicting grievous bodily harm upon him were proceeded with on a joint enterprise basis. Steven Ball, prosecuting, told a jury during a trial: “There was a swarm of people using violence in the attack on him towards the bottom of Peter Street, an attack in which he was outnumbered, surrounded, set upon, overpowered and unable to defend himself. The actual perpetrator or perpetrators of the stabbing, the knifeman or men, remain unknown, although there are a number of contenders who were within striking distance.
“This was a joint enterprise, and these defendants had a commonality of purpose where, the prosecution say, all of them should take responsibility for their collective actions and their outcomes. In this case, there were secondary parties who aided, abetted, counselled or procured this attack and as such they are complicit.
“These men all had the intention of causing serious harm, whether that be with knives, fists or feet. Put simply, we say that all those who pursued the men down Peter Street were up for serious violence and intended in this group attack to cause serious injuries.”
Subsequent guilty verdicts were met with furious outbursts as supporters walked out of the courtroom, with one woman shouting “bad snitches” as she did so and a man adding “little grassing c***s”. The defendants themselves followed suit when they returned to court to be sentenced in September 2024, calling the judge a “nonce” and a “paedophile” as they were led down to the cells to begin jail terms totalling more than 50 years.
Critchley, of Sprucewood Close in Anfield, was found guilty of wounding with intent, having admitted violent disorder. Groans were heard in the public gallery and one woman left in tears as the 21-year-old was handed 10 years, a term of which he must serve two thirds behind bars before becoming eligible for release.
Draper, of St David’s Road in Huyton, was convicted of unlawful wounding by a jury. The 21-year-old was handed four years and will be subject to a two-year serious violence reduction order upon his release.
Adam Draper(Image: Merseyside Police)
Miller, of no fixed address, admitted violent disorder but was found guilty of wounding with intent. Further groans were heard in court as the 20-year-old was locked up for 10 years, of which he must serve at least two thirds in custody.
Quinn, of Swanside Road in Huyton, was convicted of two counts of wounding with intent, having pleaded guilty to violent disorder. The 21-year-old stood with his arms folded in the dock then shrugged as he was imprisoned for 12 years, of which he must serve two thirds, while a co-defendant patted him on the back.
Kinsella was found guilty of unlawful wounding, having admitted violent disorder. The 29-year-old, of Harrogate Drive in Everton, nodded as he was jailed for four years.
Duffy, of Whitefield Way in Everton, was convicted of unlawful wounding, attempted unlawful wounding and possession of a bladed article in a public place. The 19-year-old also pleaded guilty to violent disorder and was given six years in a young offenders’ institute.
Mason-Lamb, who was said to have acted as a lookout in the latter part of the incident, admitted violent disorder but was cleared of wounding with intent and unlawful wounding. Cries of “yes” and clapping were heard from the public gallery as the 30-year-old, of Hodder Road in Everton, was handed a 15-month imprisonment suspended for 18 months, 100 hours of unpaid work and a rehabilitation activity requirement of up to 25 days.
The youth, now 17, was found guilty of two counts of wounding with intent and admitted violent disorder. He was handed five-and-a-half years in a young offenders’ institute.
At least four others who are believed to have been involved in the incident were never identified. Ironically, considering his efforts to flee the country, Bowland was “ruled out of participating in the violence”.
The Safehouse meanwhile had its licence suspended in the days after December 27 and was shut down by Liverpool City Council. But another man in the thick of the violence remained on his toes.
The same court heard this week that Delton Jones had been “involved in violence both inside and outside” the Safehouse, including being seen “aiming hard punches” towards Mr Robinson. The 28-year-old was said to have “floored” the other man with these blows, but continued to attack him even after he had fallen to the ground.
Jones, of Orry Street in Vauxhall, was then seen in a confrontation with Mr Dodson, who he punched and headbutted before being ejected from the premises. Outside, he was seen forming part of the chasing pack which tailed the rival group.
Mr Ball detailed how Jones went on to throw further punches at Mr Dodson, being “close to the complainant and throwing punches” at the time he was stabbed. But, having been identified as a suspect within days of the incident, Merseyside Police discovered that he had already left the country.
Delton Jones(Image: Merseyside Police)
However, he was ultimately arrested in Marbella on December 20 2024 before being extradited back to the UK in May this year. This was far from his first brush with violence however, having been convicted of manslaughter in 2017 and locked up for eight years.
The ECHO previously reported that, aged 19, the drug dealer repeatedly stamped on the head and chest of heroin runner Jonathan Povey, who died at the age of 47 as a result of his injuries. His attack was said to have concerned the victim being short on money which he had been tasked with returning to Jones after the two men had travelled from Merseyside to Exeter in order to sell to users.
This involved the latter holding the drugs and giving his underling deals in batches to supply on the streets, with Jones himself having been instructed to work in the supply of illicit substances in the south of England by a gang due to him owing a debt of just under £800. He was then sucked further into the enterprise after being arrested in possession of £510 of heroin and crack cocaine, as well as £225, in December of 2016.
But, having learned that Mr Povey had consumed some of the heroin he was supposed to be selling, Jones launched into a savage assault, which left the other man with nine broken ribs. He eventually collapsed with chest pains and breathing difficulties around 12 hours later and subsequently died in hospital.
Forensic investigators on Peter Street after a mass brawl led to a triple stabbing(Image: Liverpool Echo)
Jones was subsequently released from this sentence on licence during 2021. Julian Nutter, defending, told the court during his latest appearance: “I know your honour will bear in mind his age and how he has spent a substantial period in custody, which he deserved, before all of this. He remains adamant that he did not have a knife. He admits this offences on a joint enterprise basis.
“There is another side to him. He now realises that he was destroying his life and that of his dependant children. There are two of them, and they are very young. He has now resolved to reform, and he is struggling in the prison system with just that.
“Remorse, of course, is the first step to reform. He is on the right road and heading in the right direction. It is his intention never to trouble the courts again.”
Jones admitted wounding with intent and violent disorder. Appearing via video link to HMP Liverpool, he was jailed for nine years and handed an additional five years on licence on Thursday.
Sentencing, Judge Stuart Driver KC said: “A punch thrown by one of your friends sparked group violence in which the victims were struck with bottles, kicked and threatened with knives. You role was to punch one, then move to another man and punch and butt him.
“You joined a large group which pursued the victims as they backed away. A witness described you and your friends behaviour like a pack of animals. Nobody would disagree.”