DONCASTER, England – In a shocking and brutal attack, a group of masked men armed with bats and machetes have been sentenced to over 50 years in total for their assault on two young boys in an abandoned warehouse in the Askern area of Doncaster. The attack took place on April 11, 2023, leaving the victims with severe injuries and trauma.
The attackers, identified as John and Robert Mahoney, Kian Carte, and Mark Siddall, viciously assaulted a 15-year-old and a 16-year-old boy, leaving them with deep cuts, serious head injuries, and significant physical and emotional scars. The 16-year-old victim, in particular, reportedly thought he was going to die and felt his soul leaving his body. He underwent eight hours of surgery to treat injuries to his arms, face, back, and head.
The attackers, armed with baseball bats and machetes, left one of the boys with such severe injuries that he had to play dead in order to stop the assault. The other victim, a 15-year-old, sustained deep cuts to his hand and back and suffered a serious head injury after being slashed and stabbed across his back by a zombie knife.
After initially pleading not guilty to attempted murder, all four attackers later admitted to two counts of assault occasioning grievous bodily harm (GBH) and were sentenced to a combined total of 53 years and eight months in prison at Sheffield Crown Court on February 6.
John Mahoney, 38, of Laurel Terrace, Skellow, and his brother Robert Mahoney, 41, of Crossfield Lane, Skellow, were each sentenced to 13 years in prison. Carte, 22, of Laurel Terrace, Skellow, was handed a 14-year sentence, while Siddall, 39, of Acacia Road, Skellow, was jailed for 13 years and eight months, with an additional count of occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH) following a separate attack in Bridlington in August 2022.
Detective Sergeant Kath Coulter, who led the investigation, expressed satisfaction at the perpetrators being put behind bars for a lengthy amount of time, hoping that the sentences can bring closure to the victims as they try to recover from the trauma inflicted on them. This utterly abhorrent attack has left the two young boys with severe injuries that will leave lasting scars for the rest of their lives, she said.
The attackers’ swift identification and the investigative team’s hard work led to their convictions. The sentences served on them are hoped to aid the two victims in their journey to rebuild their lives and fully recover from the physical and mental trauma inflicted upon them.