Men jailed after vicious attack

Reporter: Nicole Bradley
Date online: 22 January 2011

Two men from Unsworth have been jailed for two years.

The brothers viciously attacked a man in the street in June last year, after drinking in the Bull’s Head Pub on Bury New Road, Whitefield.

Ashley and Scott Hoolighan were sentenced at Bolton Crown Court last Friday, after their victim, Robert Garland, suffered a fractured skull and spent two weeks in intensive care.

38-year old Mr Garland is still recovering from his injuries at his Whitefield home. He told the court about the devastating impact the assault has had on his life in a written statement.

Mr Garland entered the pub at 8pm, went into the beer garden and joined two friends, one male and one female.

Soon after, a group of males started arguing with Mr Garland and his friends about a dispute from 2008, which had nothing to do with the victim or the Hoolighans.

However, this did not stop Ashley grabbing Mr Garland’s friend by the throat, and pushing him against a wall.

Because they were left alarmed by the incident, Mr Garland thought it best that he and his party leave the pub to avoid any more confrontation, but the Hollighans chased after him.

25 year old Ashley barged into Mr Garland with his shoulder. The force knocked him to the ground, and he sustained a serious head injury. As he lay injured on the floor, Ashley’s brother Scott, aged 26 kicked, punched and stamped on Mr Garland.

The pair then ran off but were arrested in a police raid on their home four hours later.

Both brothers had previously pleaded guilty to a charge of causing grievous bodily harm before the jail terms were handed out by Judge Nicholas Clarke on Friday.