Bolton: Trial into alleged attack on Tyrone Williamson's murderer

Four men stand accused of seriously assaulting 42-year-old Anthony George in apparent retaliation after he fatally stabbed Tyrone Williamson on Battenburg Road on December 11 2021.

The four, all from Bolton, were brought before Manchester Crown Court this week to resume their trial after having pleaded not guilty to wounding George with intent to do him grievous bodily harm.

Jaime Hamilton KC, prosecuting, said: “This is a case about the revenge that was visited upon Anthony George by the friends and family of the man George had killed.”

Anthony George is currently serving a life sentence (Image: GMP)

He added: “They knew that their friend or relative had been badly injured.

“They set out to do the same in turn to the man they believe, correctly, responsible.”

The four defendants are Brendan Carney, 27, of Cloister Street, his brother Nathan Carney-Williamson, 30, of Battenberg Road, Roy Meanley, 29, of Rowenna Street and Thomas Lynch, 35, of Walley Street.

Two other men have already pleaded guilty to wounding with intent.

But Mr Hamilton and fellow prosecutor Vanessa Thompson claim that all of them were involved in seriously injuring George in a ‘group attack’ on Lincoln Road at around 8.15pm in the aftermath his stabbing of Mr Williamson.

Mr Hamilton said: “It is the prosecution’s case that, knowing what he had done the defendants set out to find him and exact revenge.”

He added: “At some point, George received a number of stab wounds from a knife.

“Where that knife came from, who it belonged to and who used it to inflict injury may be amongst the issues in this case.”

Lincoln Road, Bolton was taped off after the attack on George (Image: Newsquest)

After the attack George was taken to hospital and, according to Mr Hamilton, found to have three stab founds to his abdomen and two to his back.

He needed surgery after the attack and was kept in hospital until January 5 2022.

Mr Hamilton said: “The prosecution say that they are jointly involved in inflicting violence on their victim, that violence involving a collective use of punches and kicks on the ground.

“Irrespective of the fact that this is not a case where each of them has a knife and inflicted stab wounds, it is the prosecutions case that their attack and intention is a joint one, each of them adopting the actions of the other and acting together.

“Kicking a defenceless man on the floor is every bit as brutal as stabbing someone.”

The court was played video footage of what appeared to be an assaulted on George on Lincoln Road, Bolton on the night in question.

Tyrone Williamson was murdered by Anthony George (Image: GMP)

Mr Hamilton warned that the footage was not especially clear but told the jury it would be crucially to helping them understand the case.

The four men’s trial had already begun last year but was halted in June after the court decided that strike action taken by barristers at the time would have been too disruptive.

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George, of no fixed abode, was convicted of murdering Mr Williamson after a trial last December and given a life sentence with a minimum term of 21 years.

Having started up again this week the trial, before Judge Timothy Smith, it is now expected to take two to three weeks.

During that time the prosecution will present evidence to the jury, while Julian Goode, representing Carney-Williamson, Stephen McGuire, representing Meanley, Hugh McKee, representing Carney and Richard Simons, representing Lynch will all make cases for the defence.

The trial continues.