Footballers who kicked, punched and stamped on man avoid jail time

Suspended sentences for trio who left victim with fractured spine

- BY ADAM EVERETT AND ISABELLE BATES

THREE footballers have avoided immediate jail sentences after they attacked a man outside a pizza takeaway.

Former Burscough footballer Rio Merrifield, Liverpool FC academy graduate Kane Drummond, and Leon Arnasalam unleashed the assault which left a man with a broken spine.

The trio punched, kicked and stamped on their victim as he lay stricken in the road, a court heard.

He was left with injuries including a fractured spine as a result of the vicious assault in Liverpool city centre.

Despite his injuries, all three of his attackers walked free from Liverpool Crown Court last Wednesday (May 7) before two posed for a celebratory picture.

The court was told how Shayan Lawrence visited Pizza King on Berry Street in order to purchase food on the evening of December 12, 2022, before returning to his car, which was parked outside.

He then found Arnasalam, Drummond and Merrifield standing beside his vehicle, The Liverpool Echo reports.

Helen Chenery, prosecuting, described how the former thereafter “made a joke about one of the defendants scratching his car”, adding: “He was winding up the victim.

“Mr Lawrence must have thought he was being serious and confronted the males.”

This led to the complainant pushing Merrifield to the floor before all three were captured on CCTV punching and kicking him to the ground.

They continued to rain down blows and stamp on him in the middle of the road after he had fallen to the ground.

Ms Chenery said: “Two of the defendants leave for a few seconds before returning to carry on the assault.

“At least one of the defendants lost his shoe during the course of the incident and went to retrieve it before carrying on the assault.”

Members of the public intervened and Mr Lawrence sought assistance from staff at the nearby Red Door bar.