A 24-YEAR-OLD man has been jailed for a “brutal act of savagery” which left his victim permanently blind in one eye.

Harrowing footage of the moment a man knocked a dad-of-seven unconscious and deliberately stamped on his face in the "vicious assault" had been shown in court yesterday.

Liam Boulton, 24, of Pendle Avenue, Blackbrook carried out the brutal attack on Kenny Miller on the evening of Friday, July 27 near a taxi office in the town centre, near Westfield Street, Liverpool Crown Court has heard.

St Helens Star:

Liam Boulton

He was sentenced today (Wednesday) after admitting to grievous bodily harm with intent.

Boulton carried out the attack while released on bail a week after he had pleaded guilty to assaulting a 16-year-old near the Ship Inn pub, Blackbrook.

At a sentencing hearing which started on Tuesday, Prosecutor Simon Leong said that Mr Miller had been out drinking with a friend during the day.

At this point on Westfield Street Boulton “came out of nowhere and said to Mr Miller ‘What are you saying about my f****** girlfriend?’.”

He appeared to Mr Miller as being “under the influence of something’".

Boulton then “carried on with his aggressive demeanour and at one point squirted Coca-Cola towards  the woman who was with Mr Miller.

A short time later Boulton came across them near the taxi office and “continued to be abusive” before carrying out the attack.

CCTV footage was played to the court showing the attack in which he repeatedly punched Mr Miller, who fell to the ground unconscious.

He also began an assault on the woman and appeared to “inadvertently stand on Mr Miller’s unconscious face and then deliberately stamp on him".

Mr Leong read a victim impact statement by Mr Miller, who had to undergo surgery after the assault, which said: “This was a vicious assault on myself which has left me disabled due to having lost my left eye.”

He added: “I can’t open my jaw fully and haven’t been able to eat properly and this has resulted in me losing weight.”

Mr Miller, an excavator driver, has been left unable to work due to his sight loss and has “no income”. He had to have his driving licence taken off him.

It added that Mr Miller has been unable to go to the shops at night, cannot take part in his hobby of playing pool and has to sit on the left side of people to see them.

His statement read: “My whole life has been turned upside down by this assault. There’s so many things I used to be able to do."

St Helens Star:

Kenny after the attack

Defending, Michael Bagley, said that despite Boulton's previous record, this level of severity was "uncharacteristic" and that Boulton recognises he "behaves badly when affected by drink".

He added Boulton considers himself an “alcoholic”.

Boulton has also admitted to a separate criminal damage charge in relation to an incident in which windows were smashed at Geno's takeaway on Duke Street in May.

Judge Recorder Richard Archer branded the attack, which took place with Boulton’s mother and grandmother present as a “brutal act of savagery of which "the results of which are profound and life-changing. 

“In short, you have rendered Mr Miller disabled.”

Recorder Archer added: “He thought he could trust you but for some inexplicable reason you took exception to this. 

“You thought Mr Miller was talking about your girlfriend. It was clear to Mr Miller you were under the influence of something as you were bouncing around in anger.

“Again you were abusive. At one point you told Mr Miller you respected him. What happened next in fact shows utter disrespect towards Mr Miller. 

“Your family were powerless to stop you. You showed no regard for Mr Miller at all as you treated him not like a man you had known since you were a child but rather like a pasty that needed to be stamped out.

"You should be thoroughly ashamed of yourself. 

“Your assault has invaded every aspect of Mr Miller’s life. He has been left insular and paranoid and who can blame him? Why has his life been transformed? Because of you and your actions.”

Telling Boulton he considered him a “thoroughly dangerous offender” the judge said: “You are accruing a record of violent and unpredictable behaviour.”

He gave Boulton a 12-year sentence for the attack, which includes a nine year custodial sentence, of which he must serve at least two thirds before being considered for parole. 

He then must spend another three years on licence. 

Boulton must serve the 10-month sentence he was given for the attack on the 17-year-old concurrently and was given a further one month concurrent sentence for the criminal damage to Geno’s. 

No separate penalty was imposed for a quantity of cannabis found in Boulton’s home by police.