A HOMOPHOBIC thug who launched a savage attack on a gay couple and smashed a man in the face with a pool ball so that he feared he was blind in one eye is now behind bars.

Brandon Taylor is now serving an extended sentence after he was ruled to be a dangerous offender after a string of violent offences in Worcester and Malvern, including an attack which left a gay couple nursing broken bones in a trauma unit.

The 19-year-old was handed a nine and a half year prison sentence at Worcester Crown Court on Friday after attacks which also included a street robbery, biting a man at McDonald’s in Worcester city centre and biting a city police officer.

Taylor admitted grievous bodily harm with intent (section 18) and actual bodily harm following the attack on William Senior and Barnaby Edgar, who identifies as transgender, as they walked to Morrison’s in Malvern on September 20, 2019 at about 6.45pm.

Both victims already suffered from anxiety and depression and are on the autistic spectrum when they came across a group of ‘rowdy males’.

Michael Aspinall, prosecuting, said Taylor and others made ‘horrible slurs’ about transgender people, sexual comments including remarks about ‘lube’, Oestrogen and asking them why they wore black nail varnish. The group, which included Asfandyar Kiani who has already been jailed for eight years for the attack, asked to borrow a phone so they could get themselves some cocaine.

At one stage they were told by the gang: “You’re dead if you don’t get us coke!”

Mr Edgar fell to his knees, pleading with the group: “We’re pacifists, please leave us alone!”

Both men were knocked unconscious during the attack, Mr Edgar saying he felt he had been hit with a knuckle duster as kicks and punches were thrown. Mr Senior’s head was also hit against the ground as Mr Edgar tried to protect his partner after himself earlier being knocked unconscious.

The most serious injuries were inflicted to Mr Senior who suffered an open wound to the left side of the temple and a jaw broken in two places while Mr Edgar suffered a broken nose (the assault occasioning actual bodily harm charge).

Taylor also admitted two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm at McDonald’s in Worcester city centre at 6pm on February 21, 2019.

The victim, Bryn Hayes, was punched to either side of his nose, causing it to bleed before Taylor bit his left ear, drawing blood and leaving bite marks. Taylor was told to leave by staff but then carried out another attack on the same victim, punching him twice to the cheek which his cause to bleed again.

Later the same day Taylor assaulted Christopher Lancaster at the Horn and Trumpet pub in Worcester. Taylor had been asked to leave the pub by staff when he threw a pool ball in Mr Lancaster's face, causing a cut under the right eye. Taylor had confronted the victim first, asking him if he ‘wanted any drama’.

Taylor, who admitted unlawful wounding, told police that Mr Lancaster had ‘made threats to burn his family house down’ and accepted going to the pub with what he called ‘his boys’.

Mr Lancaster's glasses were damaged in the attack and he immediately lost his vision in one eye though later tests revealed that no damage had been caused to the optic nerve and this symptom was psychological.

Taylor, accompanied by another male, also robbed a victim of his £150 skateboard as he walked towards a bus stop in London Road, Worcester on February 22, 2019.

One of the males said he had a blade and Taylor raised the skateboard over his head before the victim ran off.

On December 6, 2019 Taylor swung a punch at an Asda security guard (common assault). The defendant, who was banned from the store, was also in breach of his criminal behaviour order. Six days later he stole Budweiser from the same supermarket and was seen running through the car park singing ‘happy theft day to me’. He stole more of beer on December 14, 2019.

Taylor entered McDonald’s in Worcester city centre on December 16, 2019 in breach of his criminal behaviour order and when challenged by an officer said he had ‘forgotten’ about the ban.

On December 31, 2019 he selected items from the meal deal section of the BP Garage in Castle Street and left without offering payment. Later that morning he punched a man in the jaw at McDonald’s in Worcester (but this was not pursued by the Crown).

When police later tried to arrest him at a flat in Worcester, Taylor said: “You’re not arresting me. I’m going to bed.”

He was picked up and handcuffed, Taylor telling officers when he was released from handcuffs he would ‘smash their teeth out’. He also bit PC Bradbury which resulted in a conviction for assaulting an emergency worker.

The court heard how Taylor had previous convictions for violence. He was also involved in a street attack on Kester Jardine, who was also knocked unconscious, when the defendant was a youth.

Taylor and Kiani (also his co-defendant in the homophobic attack) was part of a gang of five who took part in the ‘ferocious’ attack in Black Horse Walk in Lowesmoor, Worcester and left the scene celebrating.

Mr Jardine was pummelled with punches and kicks, rendering him unconscious during an attack involving Kiani on March 26 2019. The victim has no memory of the attack at around midnight, waking up in hospital.

Judge Nicolas Cartwright imposed a determinate sentence of two years detention in a Young Offender Institution for the attack at McDonald’s and the Horn and Trumpet, the thefts, breaches of the criminal behaviour order and the robbery.

He can expect to serve half in custody and half on licence. However, this must be served consecutively to a seven and a half year extended custodial sentence (with two and a half years extended licence) for the attack on the couple. He must serve at least two thirds of the custodial element of this sentence before the Parole Board consider authorising his release.