Two men sentenced for violent assault

Daniel Lee McNally

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A jilted ex-partner and his brother who launched a violent assault on a man, leaving him temporarily blind in one eye, have been sentenced.

Daniel Lee McNally (born 31/08/1981), of Johnston, Rochdale, was convicted of two counts of Section 20 Assault (causing grievous bodily harm – one of which is in relation to an unconnected matter) – and was sentenced to three years in prison.

His brother, Justin David McNally (born 10/03/1987), of Sawley Road, Chatburn in Clitheroe, was convicted of Section 20 Assault (causing grievous bodily harm) and sentenced to two years in prison.

On the afternoon of Saturday 22 December 2012, Justin McNally became aware that his ex-partner was seeing the victim, a 25-year-old man.

He recruited his brother and they drove to Sandbrook Retail Park.

As the victim, who was in his car with another woman, was leaving the complex, he became caught in traffic.

The two brothers ran over and began attacking the victim through his open car window. They repeatedly punched him in the face, opened his car door and attempted to drag him out.

They continued to assault him before running off.

Officers attended and located the brothers on a car park on Fishwick Street and Justin McNally told one of the officers that the victim had been seeing ‘my missus for four months, that’s why I did it’.

The victim suffered a fractured cheekbone and was blinded in one eye. He began to regain his sight after two months.

Detective Constable Michael Berger, said: “Despite the fact that Justin McNally was no longer in a relationship with an ex-partner, he was so enraged on learning of her new romance that he recruited his brother and together they launched a violent and unprovoked assault.

“The victim suffered appalling injuries which he continues to recover from and the sentences handed down today show the inevitable consequences of taking the law into your own hands.”

Daniel McNally was also sentenced for an assault on a pub landlord.

On the evening of 28 November 2011, McNally assaulted a 43-year-old man – the landlord of the Reed Hotel, Reed Hill, Rochdale – with a glass bottle. He suffered a fractured eye socket and other injuries.