Casino staff have been called ‘disgraceful’ after they stood by and watched while a homeless person was beaten in front of them.

Liam Evans, 30, followed his victim into Admiral Casino in Stockton, Teesside, and brutally beat and headbutted him while demanding money in November last year.

The man attempted to cling on to his few life’s belongings while the workers in the casino failed to intervene – then threw both men out onto the high street.

A judge called out the behaviour of the staff and ordered prosecutors to send the case to the appropriate licencing authority.

Judge Jonathan Carroll told Teesside Crown Court: ‘I saw the CCTV of that, he was wearing the clothes that he was stood up in and carrying a small bag with all his worldly property – he had about £2.50 in his pocket, beyond that he had nothing.

‘You attacked him claiming he owed you some kind of money, he sought refuge at the Admiral Casino, I am shocked, when it is patently clear he was a victim and staff simply chucked him out and locked the door on him, leaving him to face the attack that you delivered on him.

‘It was a vicious attack, you were abusive and agitated, you were headbutting him inside the casino and then, in the door well, there was a sustained three-minute attack. You were kicking at him, punching him and there was a vicious knee strike to his head.

‘In the middle of this you rummaged through his pockets to take half of the small change – all he owned in the world.

‘This was a disgraceful, extended assault and robbery on a man who had done nothing wrong and who had precious little to give.’

Prosecutor Dr Christopher Wood said just one month earlier Evans was charged with actual bodily harm (ABH) for punching and kicking another man while he was walking through Stockton town centre.

That victim had to be taken to hospital for treatment of cuts and bruises.

Tom Bennett, in mitigation, said: ‘He recognises how disgraceful his behaviour was.’

Judge Carroll sentenced Evans, of Hartington Road in Stockton, to three years in prison for the robbery and a consecutive eight months for the ABH.

Metro.co.uk has contacted Admiral Casino for comment.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected].

For more stories like this, check our news page.

Source: Read Full Article