NATHAN BOOTH, CALLUM BOOTH, AND JAMES HATTON FROM LINCOLN SENTENCED FOR BRUTAL ATTACK ON TEENAGER OVER RED HAIR
In April 2013, a disturbing incident unfolded on the Birchwood estate in Lincoln, where three local men carried out a vicious assault on a 14-year-old boy simply because he had red hair.The attack, which shocked the community, resulted in serious injuries to the young victim and led to the perpetrators being sentenced to a combined total of ten years in prison.
According to court proceedings, the assault was initiated by Nathan Booth, aged 22, who acted as the ringleader of the group.
The incident occurred while the teenager was engaged in a casual game of football with friends.
Witnesses reported that Booth approached the boy under the pretense of asking for the time, but suddenly turned violent.
As the boy reached for his phone to check the time, Booth struck him, and the violence quickly escalated.
Lincoln Crown Court heard that Booth, without warning, stamped on the boy’s head, an act of brutality that left the young teenager with a fractured arm.
The injury was severe enough to require surgical intervention, including the insertion of a metal plate to repair the damage.
The court was told that the attack was fueled by a desire for revenge after another youth with red hair had verbally abused Booth’s sister, prompting the violent response.
The court heard emotional testimony from the victim, who was unable to be named publicly.
He described how he was attacked after Booth approached him and asked for the time.
Gareth Weetman, prosecuting, explained, “Nathan Booth took the lead, and as the boy was taking his phone out to check the time, he hit him.
He recalls the group of three piling in on him.
He remembers the stamping of feet and curling up in defense.” In addition to Booth’s assault, the court revealed that he had committed two further unprovoked attacks within six months of the initial incident, despite being granted bail.
The first of these occurred during a domestic dispute, where Booth repeatedly punched a woman and kicked her twice in the face.
The victim, Emma Foster, aged 23, sustained injuries from her head to her shin and was hospitalized.
Timothy Campbell, 28, of St Rumbolds Street, Lincoln, was jailed for nine months after admitting to striking her with a single punch at the start of the altercation.
Another accomplice, Carla Smart, aged 19, of Swift Gardens, St Giles, Lincoln, received a two-year conditional discharge after admitting to pulling Miss Foster’s hair during the incident.
Miss Foster’s victim impact statement expressed her feelings of depression and her reluctance to go out in public following the assaults.
Further trouble arose when Booth was released on bail again but was re-arrested just two months later for an unprovoked attack at a McDonald's near the University of Lincoln.
During this incident, Booth struck a stranger with a single punch, fracturing his jaw and leaving him unable to eat for six months.
The victim required three surgeries to insert a plate in his jaw, and the attack was described as him “minding his own business” at the time.
Booth, of Addison Drive, St Giles, Lincoln, admitted to two charges of inflicting grievous bodily harm and one of assault causing actual bodily harm, covering incidents from April to October 2011.
Judge Sean Morris sentenced Booth to six years in prison for the assaults, emphasizing the danger of his actions.
He warned Booth, “One day if you are not careful, young man, you are going to kill somebody.
You have been beating up children, beating up women—that is the mark of a coward.” Callum Booth, aged 27, of Lancaster Court, off High Street, and James Hatton, aged 25, of Lamb Gardens, St Giles, each received 26-month prison sentences after admitting to causing grievous bodily harm to the teenage victim.
The court made it clear that their violent actions had no justification, and the community was urged to reflect on the seriousness of such behavior.
