CROSBY & LITHERLAND
6 March 2019
Vol 26 l Issue 10
www.champnews.com
Bumper Birthday Edition The Champion Celebrates 25 YEARS of Serving the Local Community
DRUG USER JAILED FOR MEAT CLEAVER TERROR ATTACK ON PENSIONER Young volunteers start sprucing up the park!
Community group aims to revamp park A COMMUNITY group has been set up to help restore a park in Blundellsands “back to its former glory.” The Friends of Merrilocks Park held a Big Dig event yesterday (Tuesday, March 5) to kick-start work on the park between Merrilocks Road and The Serpentine, near Hall Road train station. A spokesperson for Friends of Merrilocks Park said: “The aim is to restore this lovely little park to its former glory as it has been sadly neglected for many years. A plan of restoration has been agreed with the council's support. “Mount Preparatory School, West Lancs Golf Club and the Jamie Carragher 23 Foundation Charity have given their support. Continued inside
Thugs waited outside victim’s home then threatened to cut off his hand before stealing his £23,000 Rolex watch Report by Lynda Roughley A PENSIONER from Blundellsands was the victim of a terrifying armed robbery outside his home when two masked men with a meat cleaver threatened to cut off his hand before taking his £23,000 Rolex watch. The 75-year-old was pushed to the ground as he got out of his car and his arm was pinned down while the men ripped off his gold watch and took his wallet. Alexander Billinge, 26, was jailed on Tuesday, March 5 after a court heard how he became a heavy cocaine user after he killed his best mate in a high speed car crash in 2011. And tempted by the offer of more cocaine, addict Billinge agreed to take part in the violent meat cleaver attack on the pensioner, who was about to go into his Blundellsands home. His accomplice, who like Billinge was wearing a
balaclava, was brandishing the cleaver and involving targeting a vulnerable pensioner who was threatened to chop off the victim’s hand during the known to have a valuable watch. terrifying attack. “You knew that when you were recruited and the That robber tried to take the pensioner’s car keys two of you went prepared. Your accomplice had a but 26-year-old Billinge urged him to leave the car bladed weapon, both had balaclavas. and the two men the sped off on a scrambler bike. “You drove about five miles from a different part of His accomplice has not been traced but Billinge the city and there you waited for your victim to park had spat on the ground at the scene outside Foun- his car in a garage and you attacked him. He was tains Court on The Serpentine shown the blade by your accomplice North, and this DNA evidence, and dragged to the floor by you. coupled with mobile phone sit“You took his watch and wallet and ings, led to Billinge being very serious violence was arrested. threatened. He was told his hand Fiona McNeill, prosecuting, would be chopped off if he resisted. said that the victim had been He was in the grounds of his apartleft feeling shaken and suffered ment block and was entitled to a stiff neck and a fat lip. regard it as a place of safety,” said In a personal statement Judge Driver. shared with the court the vicHe pointed out that Billinge, of tim said: “I was very shaken by Lyneham, Whiston, has twice been what happened and have been jailed before - he received four years extremely cautious ever since. in March 2011 after admitting caus“I was putting my car away ing the death of his friend Mark one day and the leaves behind Doyle, 18, by dangerous driving. me just rustled and I nearly The victim, known as Marko, died Alexander Billinge jumped out of my skin. instantly after Billinge, who did not “It has made me nervous but I hope that will go have a licence, lost control of a powerful S-type Jagaway. Before this happened I didn’t feel nervous uar at 100mph after overtaking a taxi on Stanley about anything.” Road, Kirkdale, on October 23 the previous year. Billinge was jailed for seven years by Judge Stuart While awaiting sentence for that offence he was Driver, QC, who described it as “a bad robbery” Continued inside
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