Teenagers chased man and stabbed him repeatedly after ‘giving him the side eye’ in pub

A vicious gang of teenagers chased a man through St Helens town center before stabbing him repeatedly while shouting racial slurs.

Jack Mather, Dillon Smith and Harry Holcroft, all 19, chased Shantosh Surendra under the cover of darkness after following him from the Duke of Cambridge pub in Duke Street, St Helens, in around 4:30 a.m. on October 21, 2023. The victim was then violently attacked by Mather and Holcroft, who punched, kicked and stomped on him while yelling racial slurs.

He also suffered numerous stab wounds during the “prolonged and sustained” attack, leaving him with a collapsed lung and “blood dripping down his back and arms”. However, an inquest could not determine whether these injuries were caused by Mather or Holcroft.

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Mather, of Gerards Lane, St Helens, and Smith, of Lakemoor Close, both initially denied assault but pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding at the last minute after a four-day trial in April. They appeared at Liverpool Crown Court yesterday, June 11, for sentencing.

Opening the case, prosecutor Gerry Baxter told the court that Mather and Smith had known Mr Surendra for 10 years but had had an argument in 2023. All four men had been drinking in The Duke of Cambridge when Mr Surendra spotted the group. giving him the side-eye” before following him down the street at closing time.

He said: “Mr Surendra started running because he knew the three men wanted trouble. As he ran away, they ran after him and cut him down. One of them said they wanted to talk to him, but they started hitting and punching him. Mr. Surendra saw Mather pick up something from his belt, a screwdriver or something like that on the floor and they proceeded to stab him, kick him and hit him and called him a nonce.

“When the attack stopped, Mr Surendra stood up and found blood running down his back and arms. He felt dizzy. Fortunately for him, he was spotted by police officers on patrol in a police car.”

The victim was taken to Aintree Hospital where he was treated for a collapsed left lung.

CCTV footage of the attack was recovered and a jacket with Mr Surendra’s blood on it was seized from Holcroft’s home. All three defendants replied “no comment” during interviews with police – except for Smith, who, when shown a CCTV image of him, Mather and Holcroft at a nearby taxi rank, said: “You just I say now, that picture, whatever you were. saying, I’ve got the hell out of it, I’m just in that picture walking home, so whatever you want to try to do with that, but that’s it.

Anthony O’Donohoe, defending Mather, said his client had “lost his temper” with Mr Surendra because of the allegations against him. He said: “He agreed to follow the victim and try to punch him and indeed he did. This was a response that lacked critical thinking skills and showed a lack of maturity. who is of great help and assistance to his grandmother, and is very well thought of by a man who is prepared to employ him in his business, raising bodies.”

Miles Wilson, defending Smith, said his client’s role in the attack was less than that of Mather and Holcroft because he broke away from the group during the chase and did not take part in the stabbing. He said: “Smith must be a prime candidate for probation intervention. (He had) difficulties growing up, witnessing violence at home, disruptions at school. He collects a list of convictions. He took the wrong path. He’s involved in But he’s only 19 and probation thinks they can work with him.

However, Judge David Potter said Smith’s case was made worse by his criminal record – nine convictions for 14 offences, including criminal damage, assault, obstructing police and breaching court orders – and his guilty pleas to other possession charges of cannabis, cocaine and ketamine.

The judge said: “There was a violent confrontation in a dark street which was somewhat hidden. But following that confrontation, the victim was repeatedly stabbed in a vulnerable part of the body, the chest, during which one of the wounds was punctured. and caused a collapsed lung. He required immediate and emergency medical treatment, but it’s also fair to say that his injuries were not life-threatening or required significant treatment – he was a lucky man.

“This must have been a frightening event for a young man to be confronted by three others and injured in a vulnerable part of his body. It is also an aggravating factor that someone from that group used racist language towards him.”

He added: “This was a serious crime and the public need to know they can get on with their lives without the risk of being confronted by a gang intent on serious violence. For that, I am satisfied that only immediate custody is appropriate in both cases.”

He sentenced both Mather and Holcroft to 22 months in a young offenders’ institution. Holcroft, of Lowfield Lane, will be sentenced on July 8, having been found guilty by a jury in April.

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