Dad stamps on son’s head in violent public beating after drunken ‘4am or 4pm’ row

Josh Rooney, 41, of Gateshead, subjected his son to a violent public assault which left him covered in blood and unconscious after a drunken row over whether it was 4am or 4pm, Newcastle Crown Court heard

A brutal father inflicted a horrific public assault on his son which left onlookers terrified he had been killed. Josh Rooney stamped on his son’s head, booted him in the face and repeatedly battered him following a booze-fuelled argument over whether it was 4am or 4pm.

Newcastle Crown Court was told the pair had visited numerous pubs in Newcastle and Gateshead when Rooney’s temperament soured and he became aggressive in a taxi due to his confusion about the time.

He left his son drenched in blood and the victim lost consciousness at one stage and appeared lifeless as Rooney continued his brutal attack, with bystanders believing he had murdered him.

The court was told the father and son had maintained little regular contact during the previous 12 months but they were in communication on December 19 last year regarding the son visiting Rooney’s house for drinks. The son went to a mate’s house to watch a boxing bout in the early hours and arrived at his dad’s around 6am before they went out on the town.

Later that afternoon, after visiting numerous establishments including Wetherspoon’s in Gateshead and Stack in Newcastle city centre, Rooney’s demeanour shifted and while in a taxi heading to a pub in Gateshead, he began rowing with his son because he believed it was 4am, when it was actually 4pm.

Rooney, 41, swung his arm backwards attempting to strike his son in the back of the cab and when it came to a halt, he hauled him from the vehicle and onto the street. He began pummelling him and his son retaliated, reports Chronicle Live.

Rooney, of Acomb Court, Harlow Green, Gateshead, then forced him to the ground, using his weight to leave him helpless. He continued striking him in the face and body before placing his hand around his neck as if to throttle him.

The victim lost consciousness for 15 to 30 seconds and regained awareness to discover himself drenched in blood, attempting to pull himself along the ground. Rooney then declared “do you think you are the big man” and booted him in the face before stamping on his head and shoulder while he lay on the floor.

A woman who had observed what was happening contacted the police. She reported the younger man appeared unconscious and that the older man lifted him up and hurled him against a wall.

Andrew Epsley, prosecuting, said: “She thought the younger man was dead because he looked like a ragdoll and his face was covered in blood. She told him to stop and he said ‘it’s my f****** son’ and carried on. The woman said to the police at one point ‘I think he has f****** killed him. She didn’t intervene because she feared he would turn on her.”

Workers at a bar ventured outside to attempt intervention but Rooney would not allow them near the victim, declaring “this is my son”. That witness reported the victim was motionless and covered in blood.

Rooney was observed to prod his son with his foot at one point and declare “I hope you die”. The victim was left with a range of injuries including facial and forehead bruising, a lacerated lip, hand soreness, forehead swelling and marks on his forehead.

In a victim impact statement, he revealed that he had sustained a head wound and an injured ankle, and it took six weeks for the bruising to disappear, during which time he felt self-conscious due to people staring at his injuries.

He also claimed to have lost up to £3,000 in wages as he had to take leave from his job as a labourer. He added: “I became a recluse. I looked awful and felt awful and I lost two-and-a-half stone. I remember sitting on the pavement sobbing. Even with the police next to me he was shouting at me across the car park.

“I can no longer bear to be around drunk people. I’m scared and wary of their unpredictability. The assault has changed my personality. I’ve lost friends from not being as sociable and I’ve lost friends from supporting this prosecution. I know it was the right thing to do but some of my closest friends have called me a grass.”

Speaking about his father, he said: “I gave him chance after chance only for him to do this to me. He is my father and if I can’t trust him, who can I trust.”

Rooney, who has 23 previous convictions and was under a community order at the time, admitted to assault occasioning actual bodily harm. Judge Robert Adams stated: “This was a total betrayal of his relationship with his son, beating his son in the way he did. I’m going to give him another chance but if he breaches it I’m going to send him to custody.”

He warned Rooney: “You could not possibly complain if I imposed an immediate custodial sentence. You recognise that’s a likely outcome.”

He received a two-year suspended sentence for two years, along with 100 hours of unpaid work and a 120-day alcohol abstinence monitoring requirement. He was also issued a five-year restraining order prohibiting him from contacting his son.

Jordan Parkinson, defending, said: “His offending is directly linked to his mental health and resorting to excessive alcohol and cocaine consumption as a coping mechanism. This offence has been a huge wake up call to him. He knows he has severely damaged his relationship with his son. He is remorseful.”

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