Today (10 November 2023) 35-year-old Douglas Joyce, of Quayside Close, was sentenced at Manchester Crown Court to 19 months in jail for causing grievous bodily harm.

On October 23 2022, at around 10pm, Joyce assaulted the 78-year-old man inside a pub on Thomas Street.

Joyce had followed the victim into a back room and began to shout and point at him, before punching the elderly man in the face three times and knocking him off his seat and into the seats next to him, causing him to bleed.

Joyce continued to stand over the victim in a “threatening manner and encouraged Joyce’s father John Joyce to punch him too.”

After the victim stood up, Joyce launched one “extremely hard” left punch to the victim’s face, causing him to propel backwards over the table and chairs behind him. Joyce continued to stand directly over him, leaning into him still shouting and pointing, before making one final punch to the victim’s face.

The victim’s testimony and CCTV evidence determined that Douglas Joyce was “primarily responsible” for the man’s injuries and he was arrested and charged with section 18 assault.

Detective Constable Natalie Hollows said: “Joyce is an aggressive and violent man who intended to intimidate and inflict pain on a vulnerable 78-year-old man by carrying out this horrendous assault.

“Joyce was wearing a large gold pyramid-style ring when he punched the man in the face, causing him significant injury due to the size and shape accelerated by force and the series of punches he endured.”

Joyce had pled guilty at an earlier appearance on September 22 2023.

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