Judge calls drug user 'dangerous young man' after Sherdley Park attack

Keenan Fairclough, 21, was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday to 40 months in jail after he had pleaded guilty to attempted robbery.

Fairclough subjected his victim to the ordeal while she had been running down The Score, near to the former Pets' Corner, at Sherdley Park.

During the incident, he dragged her towards a bush before she managed to get away.

Matthew Conway, prosecuting, told the court that the victim had been running at the park on the afternoon of Friday, May 20 this year.

Sherdley Park (Image: Stock)

“At 1.45pm the victim was doing a run around Sherdley Park in St Helens,” Mr Conway said.

“On her second lap, she noticed a male, the defendant, hanging around and, in her words, dragging his feet by some bushes.

“On her third lap, the defendant was still in the same spot, and (she) suddenly felt someone grab her neck from behind in a chokehold and dragged her in the direction of a bush”.

The victim felt “lightheaded" and “managed to wrestle (Fairclough’s) arm away and screamed 'help'".

Mr Conway added: “He (Fairclough) said ‘I want money’ and she told him she didn’t have any money but he could take her AirPods.” 

Fairclough went on to say ‘I want money’ on “numerous occasions”.

The victim asked if there’s anyone who can help him and Fairclough replied ‘I don’t have family like that’ and that “she should get money for him”.

The victim managed to get away as a dog walker approached, who called the police.

The court heard that Fairclough was arrested on Monday, May 23, three days later after being seen by a woman at the park, who had seen a Facebook post written by the victim about the incident.

READ > Court hears of woman's terror during Sherdley Park attack

Judge Neil Flewitt QC said: "It looks as though he was gearing up to do it again," in reference to the circumstances in which Fairclough was arrested.

Faircloufgh's defence barrister Charles Lander said: "He was gearing up in his need for ketamine.

"If he would have gone to the lengths he did again, one doesn't know." 

Fairclough, of Phoenix Brow, St Helens, had 15 previous

convictions for 35 offences, including for battery, assault of a PC and public order offences.

Jailing Fairclough for 40 months, the judge said the victim’s ordeal “must have been absolutely terrifying”.

He said: “She says that she feared that you may have wanted something other than money but this has been charged as attempted robbery.

“What you did to her must have been an absolutely terrifying experience for her. This had a significant psychological effect upon her.”

The judge said that it was noted in a report Fairclough had “features of ADHD and unstable personality disorder but no formal diagnosis”.

He added to Fairclough that “substance abuse, in this case ketamine had a harmful effect on you, and through your actions on others” adding “there isn’t a suggestion that this reduces your culpability.”

The judge said a pre-sentence report “regards you as having a high risk of reoffending” and a “high risk of causing serious harm".

He added: “I have no doubt that, for a combination of reasons set out in these various reports and evidenced by your previous convictions, you are quite a dangerous young man”.

He said Fairclough must serve half of his sentence in custody, minus time already spent in custody, before being released on licence.

He imposed a seven-year restraining order on Fairclough not to contact his victim or from entering Sherdley Park.

Defending, Charles Lander, said Fairclough was “very keen to apologise to the complainant” and that his client has a “troubled background” and is a father with a child in care.

He said he was “determined to be drug-free when he comes out of prison”.

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