Asian student hit with wheel brace

May 20 2008 by Chloe Griffiths, Liverpool Daily Post

A 16-YEAR-OLD boy hit an Asian student in the face with a wheel brace after chasing him in a car.

Daniel Cooke-McGuiness, who is now 17, armed himself with the metal weapon and hit Liverpool-born Josh Maqsood at least twice.

Liverpool Crown Court heard the teenager and his two accomplices – serving soldier Lee Williams and Steven Ormsby – had started shouting abuse at Newcastle University student Mr Maqsood and his four friends as they left Tesco supermarket in Mather Avenue, Mossley Hill at about 1am on August 3.

The trio then began speeding the car towards their victims, narrowly missing them.

The five students, three of whom were Asian, were so terrified they ran away – jumping over a fence.

But their attackers, who were in a silver Renault Clio, drove after them along Elm Hall Drive and on to Rose Lane.

The car caught up with Spanish and German student Mr Maqsood, with the trio demanding to know his nationality and asking if he came from Afghanistan.

Mr Stables told the court Cooke-McGuiness then got out of the back of the car and got a wheel brace out of the boot.

Mr Stables said: “Daniel Cooke-McGuiness walked up to and attacked the complainant.”

Mr Maqsood suffered a fractured cheek bone in the attack and was bleeding heavily.

The 20-year-old, who was 19 at the time of the attack said the attack had left him “terrified”.

Yesterday, Cooke-McGuiness, of Beryl Walk, Croxteth, was ordered to 24 months detention and training after he admitted causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

Paul Lewis told the court the apprentice brick-layer, who had a previous conviction for possessing cannabis, felt “sick” by what he had done and could not explain his actions.

Royal Dragoon Guard Williams, Alton Road, Tuebrook, was spared prison after the court heard he had a “promising career”.

The 20 year-old, who has done a tour of duty in Iraq and is due to go to Afghanistan next year, was sentenced to a community order with 150 hours unpaid work in the community after admitting affray.

While Judge Graham Morrow QC suspended a 16-week stretch at a Young Offenders’ Institute for driver Steven Ormsby, 19, of Beech Street, Bootle, for 12 months. The father-of-one, who suffers from ADHD and has a previous conviction for assaulting his pregnant girlfriend, was placed under supervision and a two month curfew with electronic tagging after also admitting affray.