St Helens man jailed for systematic torture of elderly victim

ST HELENS MAN JAILED FOR SYSTEMATIC TORTURE OF ELDERLY VICTIM

A St Helens man was jailed for the horrific two-hour “systematic torture” of an elderly man partly filmed on a mobile phone.

Richard Finch, 25, was sentenced to nine years imprisonment alongside his accomplice Jaye Corcoran, 24.

The pair restrained their 64-year-old victim and subjected him to a prolonged and brutal knife attack.

The victim sustained serious injuries to his face, chest, and multiple puncture wounds to his shins, and as a result, spent several days in intensive care.

Finch, who has no fixed address but is formerly from St Helens, pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent and false imprisonment.

Corcoran, also with no fixed address but from Dublin, was convicted by a jury of the same charges.

The violence occurred in the early hours of March 17, 2015, after police attended a hostel in Westminster, central London, where the victim and attackers were residing.

Detective Andy Kidd of the Westminster Serious Crime Unit stated that the motive for the attack remained unclear.

He described the attack as "a prolonged, sustained and brutal attack the like of which was akin to systematic torture." He added, “Richard Finch and Jaye Corcoran for reasons only known to themselves, subjected the elderly and vulnerable victim, who they had only just met, to a prolonged, sustained and brutal attack the like of which was akin to systematic torture.

Their actions were totally inexcusable.

Today they have been sentenced to a substantial period of imprisonment.”