{"id":821449,"date":"2026-03-12T20:18:16","date_gmt":"2026-03-12T20:18:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/821449\/"},"modified":"2026-03-12T20:18:16","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T20:18:16","slug":"dad-left-pensioner-with-horrific-injuries-but-his-crime-spree-had-only-just-begun","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/821449\/","title":{"rendered":"Dad left pensioner with ‘horrific’ injuries but his crime spree had only just begun"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jack Leatherbarrow hit a woman with her own Mercedes before smashing it into a wall, then stole a Land Rover which he also crashed<\/p>\n

16:45, 12 Mar 2026Updated 19:31, 12 Mar 2026<\/p>\n

\"Jack<\/p>\n

Jack Leatherbarrow(Image: Facebook)<\/p>\n

A dad stole an elderly couple’s Mercedes, struck one of the pensioners with their car, smashed into a wall, burgled a house and pinched a nurse’s Land Rover before also crashing the 4×4. Jack Leatherbarrow embarked upon his cocaine and booze fuelled rampage after being chased out of a convenience store, having stolen two bottles of wine.<\/p>\n

Despite having no previous brushes with the law, his “simply bizarre” crime spree left the woman hit by the Mercedes with “horrific” injuries before he “betrayed the kindness” of a Good Samaritan who came to his aid then ordered a stranger to give him a lift to Tesco. But he was spared jail today, March 12, due to him having “lived an otherwise law abiding life” and sought help for his substance misuse.<\/p>\n

Liverpool Crown Court<\/a> heard on Thursday that Leatherbarrow entered One Stop on Liverpool Road in Ainsdale <\/a>on February 2 this year and shoplifted two bottles of wine. The 27-year-old, of Golf Road in Formby<\/a>, then left the store and jumped over a wall into the grounds of the neighbouring property of 67-year-old Deborah Lally.<\/p>\n

Olivia Randell, prosecuting, described how Leatherbarrow entered the house via the open front door while being chased by a shop employee. Mrs Lally’s husband, who had been outside in his Mercedes, ran into the property as a result, leaving the car keys in the ignition.<\/p>\n

Leatherbarrow was said to have been “flailing his arms” while still clutching the bottles of wine and “talking incoherently” before he left the couple’s home and entered the vehicle, locking the doors. Mrs Lally followed him to the side of the car, “shouting at the defendant to get out” while her partner stood with his hands on the bonnet.<\/p>\n

While he jumped out of the way as Leatherbarrow began to drive off, Mr Lally was clipped by the wing mirror and fell to the floor, banging the left hand side of her face on the pavement. She was left with injuries to her face, chin, wrists and knees as a result, with photographs showing bruising and grazes across her body, as well as a nasty, bleeding wound to her left cheek.<\/p>\n

Leatherbarrow subsequently drove the stolen vehicle around seven miles to Bye Lane in Downholland, crashing into the stone wall of a farmhouse and missing a child’s trampoline by a matter of metres. Having exited the car, he then approached the nearby home of Helena Coyne on Broad Lane.<\/p>\n

While the nurse allowed him into her address in order to call an ambulance due to his visible injuries, Leatherbarrow instead took the keys to her Land Rover while her back was turned and drove off in the 4×4. This vehicle was then also crashed into a field on Moss Lane.<\/p>\n

Leatherbarrow went on to jump into the back seat of another car when the driver stopped to check on his welfare and asked to be taken to Tesco<\/a>. He remained in the vehicle upon arrival at the supermarket, at which stage the motorist called police.<\/p>\n

Officers attending the scene found Leatherbarrow “appearing to be under the influence of something”, with dried blood around his nose and his “eyes flickering and speech slurred”, having been “unsteady on his feet and staring blankly”. He later refused to comply with drug tests in custody, stating he “wouldn’t give blood unless he could speak to his solicitor”.<\/p>\n

Leatherbarrow has no previous convictions. Julian Nutter, defending, told the court: “It is not mitigation but, by way of background, you can see that, early on in the incident, when he was in the One Stop shop, he complained he was not well. It is clear from the pre-sentence report there have been serious mental health issues, and these are rooted in a horrible experience he suffered earlier in his life.<\/p>\n

“He has the belief that he has been suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, but he has no diagnosis. There was obviously something along the lines of a psychotic issue occurring on that day. The issue we have is that there is self induced intoxication with drink and drugs underlying that. It gives an explanation, if not mitigation.<\/p>\n

“As a result of this and as a result of his shame, he has sought treatment. He has done everything he can to get committed to an establishment to try and resolve his drug and alcohol dependency. He looks as dry as a bone now.<\/p>\n

“The background is extraordinary, for somebody of previous positive good character. This is somebody who has got a good job. He has got a supportive, caring family, a large number of who are here today. This is a wholly exceptional blip in his life. Through me, he apologises for the misery, pain and suffering that has been caused. That is an important apology.<\/p>\n

“He is not a risk or danger to the public. This is not a case of assault occasioning actual bodily harm where he was using the vehicle as a weapon but, rather, in his state, he had missed that she was in line for the mirror, and it is probably a recklessness case.<\/p>\n

“There is a realistic prospect of rehabilitation. He has taken the first step to get himself off cocaine and alcohol. Through me, he wishes to give the court and his victims the assurance that he will never ever get himself involved with those substances again.<\/p>\n

“He has come here with his bag, expecting the worst. To send him off into custody now, as at first sight he may deserve, would be to destroy the life that he has built for himself and render him below the bottom rung of the ladder. That would be a waste for the community at large and would not put in place the sort of support that would build upon the remorse and the efforts that he has made.”<\/p>\n

Leatherbarrow admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm, burglary, aggravated vehicle taking, criminal damage, driving without insurance and failing to provide a specimen for analysis. Appearing suited in the dock, he was handed a two-year imprisonment suspended for two years with 100 hours of unpaid work, a rehabilitation activity requirement of up to 30 days, a nine-month drug rehabilitation requirement and a 120-day alcohol abstinence requirement.<\/p>\n

Sentencing, Recorder Nicholas Flanagan said: “You were clearly under the influence of substances and, I have no doubt, alcohol when you conducted this spree of offending, which has caused several people significant harm and distress. Mr Lally jumped out his car, as anyone would to help his wife.<\/p>\n

“You then ran into his Mercedes and drove it, clearly, dangerously. In doing so, you struck Ms Lally. You caused her to fall onto the floor. I have seen the horrific injuries that you caused.<\/p>\n

“You managed to make your escape. A member of the public, out of the goodness of her heart, came to your aid. You betrayed her kindness by stealing her car before crashing that one as well. I accept that mental health must have played a significant role in your offending. It is uncharacteristic and simply bizarre that you find yourself in this position.<\/p>\n

“Ms Lally had severe bruising all over her body. It has severally affected her mental health. It has had a devastating impact on her. Ms Coyne describes an overwhelming emotional toll. She no longer feels safe at home with her young daughter.<\/p>\n

“I accept that you have got previous good character. You do have mental health issues and problems with substance misuse, and this may have been part of a psychotic episode. I accept that you have difficulties with epilepsy and took medication.<\/p>\n

“I am glad to read that you have voluntarily gone into rehabilitation. People speak very highly of you. You have a young daughter, and I accept that you have remorse.<\/p>\n

“You were using your car as weapon, and the injuries have had a substantial impact on Ms Lally. The burglary offence, again, is serious. There was someone present in the property. I accept that it was impulsive and not planned.<\/p>\n

“The impact of this criminal spree cannot be understated. Several innocent members of the public were distressed, injured and devastated by your actions. In a short period of time, you committed no fewer than six serious offences. While there are mental health issues in the background, the choices that you made to take illegal drugs played a significant part in your behaviour.<\/p>\n

“In reality, as your advocate concedes, you deserve an immediate period of imprisonment. I have thought very carefully. I cannot ignore that you have voluntarily sought treatment for your addiction problems. I am just satisfied that you can be rehabilitated, and you have lived an otherwise law abiding life. I am just persuaded that this sentence can be suspended.”<\/p>\n

Leatherbarrow was also handed a two-year driving ban and will be required to pass an extended retest before being allowed back on the roads. He was told to pay \u00a31,000 in compensation to Mrs Lally, \u00a3500 to Ms Coyne, a further \u00a3500 to the homeowner whose wall was damaged during the first crash and \u00a320 to One Stop.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Jack Leatherbarrow hit a woman with her own Mercedes before smashing it into a wall, then stole a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":821450,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[8815],"tags":[26374,748,30,188,393,34676,4884,179,16,15],"class_list":["post-821449","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-liverpool","tag-ainsdale","tag-britain","tag-courts","tag-crime","tag-england","tag-formby","tag-great-britain","tag-liverpool","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/116218056531579386","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/821449","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=821449"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/821449\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/821450"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=821449"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=821449"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=821449"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}