Ian Malam blasted his ex-girlfriend’s new partner with an aerosol ‘flamethrower’ and gouged him in the eye
Ian Malam leaving Liverpool Crown Court
A man blasted his ex-girlfriend’s new partner with an aerosol “flamethrower” and gouged him in the eye. Ian Malam, 63, drove away in his black Volkswagen while repeatedly honking his horn, then phoned up his ex and said: “Have I took his eye out?”
The attack occurred at around 4am on June 1 this year, when Malam’s former partner Joanne Higgins and her boyfriend Chris O’Toole were walking near the junction of Ball’s Road and Euston Grove in Prenton. Malam drove past them, then turned around and doubled back. Drawing nearer, he threw a can of cider at the couple, and Mr O’Toole shouted at Malam to leave them alone.
Prosecutor Trevor Parry-Jones told Liverpool Crown Court yesterday, December 18: “The defendant (Malam) then stopped the car, got out, and approached Chris O’Toole. He was carrying a spray can. Chris O’Toole described the fact that he was not approaching the defendant, rather he was retreating, but it was to no avail.
“With the spray can he had, he ignited it, raised it up and delivered a burst of flame which hit Chris O’Toole in the face. Chris O’Toole tried to kick the can out of the defendant’s hand and the pair began to fight. They fell to the ground.
“Chris O’Toole felt a sharp pain to his right eye. This may have been the defendant’s finger or thumb, but is more likely to have been some implement used to gouge Chris O’Toole’s eye, possibly the nozzle of the can.”
Ms Higgins shouted that she would call the police, and Malam got back into his car and drove away while honking his horn repeatedly.
Ms Higgins called 999 and police attended the scene. While they were there, Malam called Ms Higgins and was heard saying: “Have I took his eye out? Have I took his eye out?”
Mr O’Toole went to Arrow Park Hospital, where he received treatment for a “flash burn” to his face and eyebrows. He had bruising to the right lower eye and a corneal abrasion to the surface of his eye, affecting his vision.
Malam, of New Hey Road, Birkenhead, initially claimed to have acted in self defence, but later pleaded guilty to assault causing actual bodily harm. He appeared at Liverpool Crown Court yesterday, December 18, for sentence.
The prosecution said the dad-of-one had eight convictions for nine offences, including several for assault. In 2022, he attacked another male associate of Ms Higgins outside a Tesco supermarket.
Mr Parry-Jones said: “The defendant pulled up in his car and was abusive towards them. He shouted ‘these bagheads owe me £700’, punched the victim several times, got into his vehicle and sped away.”
Ian Malam leaving Liverpool Crown Court
Stuart Mills, defending, said: “The defendant has been in custody since his arrest on June 1, which is the equivalent of the custodial part of a 12-month sentence, and he has never before experienced a custodial sentence. There have been various orders made and he appears to have complied with them all.
“This is a man who has worked throughout his adult life for 30 years as a mechanic. When he went into custody he was about to start another job, having just finished one. He was earning a reasonable salary that means he had managed to accumulate some savings. That has maintained the home that he has lived in for 10 years, because he has been able to pay the rent. He doesn’t know what’s going to happen in the long term because that money is going to come to an end.
“His brother is very concerned for him because what this period of incarceration means is that he has lost the employment that he was going to go to.”
Sentencing Malam, Recorder Nicola Daley said: “Ms Higgins had her phone on speakerphone, and one of the police officers heard you say ‘have I took his eye out?’ You knew what you were doing during that fight.
“Mr O’Toole had to go to Arrowe Park Hospital, suffering with the flash burn to his face and eyebrow. It’s clear to me that in addition to suffering a superficial burn, he also suffered a significant injury to the surface of the eye that must have been extremely uncomfortable and he was still suffering from blurred vision when he came to court to give evidence.
“(Your guilty plea) does show some remorse. It shows you accepted that what you have done is wrong and you need to change. You’re 63 with eight sets of previous convictions for nine offences. The most serious are the previous assaults.
“You’re somebody that has had issues with alcohol use at times, but you have always worked. Issues in your life mean you haven’t responded to pressure well. You’re faced with pressure or trouble and you resort to violence. That’s not something you can continue doing. You will lose your job, you will lose your house, and then you will have nothing to come out to and that’s a sad situation at the age of 63.”
She sentenced Malam to 13 months in prison suspended for 18 months, 120 hours of unpaid work, and 25 rehabilitation days. She also made restraining orders banning him from contacting Ms Higgins and Mr O’Toole.