Bolton: Three men jailed for 'revenge attack' on murderer

Jason Wilding, 29, Adam Disa Green, 22, and Brendan Carney, 27, all took part in a group attack on Anthony George on Lincoln Road in Bolton on December 11, 2021 in retaliation after he fatally stabbed Tyrone Williamson on Battenburg Road that same evening.

Manchester Crown Court heard how the trio attacked 42-year-old George alongside a group of other men, leaving him with “life-threatening injuries”, including five stab wounds, apparently inflicted by the very knife he had used to murder Mr Williamson.

Jamie Hamilton, prosecuting, said: “So far as the incident of the stabbing was concerned, he was stabbed by his own knife so it was spontaneous to that extent.

Anthony George was attacked in revenge for his fatal stabbing of Tyrone Williamson (Image: GMP)

“But the crown asserts that these men were looking for Mr George with revenge on their minds.

“So it was premeditated to the extent that the group were looking for Mr George.”

Mr Hamilton told the court how the initial argument erupted after George, of no fixed address, was thrown out of Mr Williamson’s home after he was apparently found to have taken his eventual victim’s mobile phone.

Tyrone Williamson (Image: GMP)

Matters escalated and George then fatally stabbed Mr Williamson in the street on Battenburg Road.

Police and paramedics were called but could not save the young man’s life, while a group of his friends then began to look for George.

They found him on Lincoln Street and CCTV footage was shown to the court showing the attack in which the group of men stabbed, punched, kicked and stamped on man who had murdered Mr Williamson.

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

Mr Hamilton accepted that the group had not taken a knife of their own to the scene, but instead used what appeared to have been George’s knife after he had dropped it.

George was taken for emergency treatment at Manchester Royal Infirmary and has since been convicted of murder and jailed for life.

In the aftermath of the attack, Mr Hamilton told the court that a “clearly very angry” Wilding, of Withington Road, Whalley Range, was arrested on the evening of December 11, 2021, and answered no comment when interviewed by police.

Dissa Green, of no fixed address, was arrested on December 14, 2021 and also gave no comment to officers, while Carney, of Cloister Street, Bolton, was arrested on January 24, 2022, and gave some answers will still denying being part of the group.

But Wilding, who has 36 previous convictions for 51 offences, and Dissa Green both ultimately pleaded guilty to wounding with intent after first pleading not guilty to attempted murder.

Carney was found guilty to wounding with intent after a trial earlier this year which saw three other men acquitted of the same offence.

Adam Watkins, defending Wilding, argued that he deserved credit for having pleaded guilty and reminded the court of the “context” behind his attack on George.

He said: “They were all to varying degrees traumatised, upset and angry at the news they had received only moments ago.”

Mr Watkins also pointed out that the attack and Wilding’s part in it had been a spontenous response to the murder of his friend Mr Williamson and that his role “should not be distinguished for better or for worse than his co-defendants".

David Toal, defending Dissa Green, argued that the youngest defendant had also taken part “spontaneously” and that he had been “extremely upset” by George’s murderous actions.

But the 22-year-old, who has no previous convictions, had since expressed remorse for his actions.

Mr Toal said: “To put it bluntly and in layman’s terms, he is extremely sorry for what he did.”

Hugh McKee, defending Carney, accepted he had not earned the same credit after denying his offence and going to trial.

But he said that he was extremely worried for the sake of his family and that he intended to use his time in prison as productively as possible “doing every course he can".

ALSO READ: Man jailed for life for the murder of a Bolton man who was stabbed through the heart

ALSO READ: None of 'revenge attack' accused took a knife to the scene, court hears

ALSO READ: Jury reach verdict on men's alleged 'revenge' attack on Tyrone Williamson's murderer

Judge Timothy Smith accepted that each of the men had experienced extreme trauma that evening but reminded them that that had not given them the right to behave as they had done.

He said: “Feelings were clearly running very high, there was shock, upset and anger at what had happened.”

He added: “Yes it may have been born of anger and upset, but a revenge attack is just that, an attack which is intended to punish someone who has done wrong.”

Judge Smith sentenced Wilding to a total of 11 years and two months in prison, while Dissa Green received a sentence of five years and 10 months and Carney was jailed for eight years and eight months.

Greater Manchester Police has been approached for pictures of the three defendants.