Teenager and two men handed prison sentences for brutal killing of 55-year-old in Bootle

A teenage boy and two men have been handed prison sentences today (March 16) in connection with the death of Christopher Molloy in Bootle, last year.

Mr Molloy was seriously assaulted by a group of males on Bootle Strand in the early hours of Tuesday, July 12 following an altercation near to Burger King. He sadly passed away in hospital on July 19 aged 55.

A 15-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was sentenced to life with a minimum of eight years for murder, and will be on a life licence.

Jay Byrne, 26, of Leyland Road, Southport was sentenced to 10.5 years in prison for manslaughter.

Joseph Byrne, 25, of no fixed abode, was sentenced to nine years and nine months in prison for manslaughter. He was also given an extended licence of four years.

The three defendants had earlier pleaded guilty to manslaughter, following which a trial took place to determine whether they would be sentenced for the murder of Christopher.

Following the sentencing, Detective Chief Inspector of Merseyside Police, Ben Dyer said: “This was a brutal assault which left Christopher critically ill, and despite the best efforts of medical staff, he sadly lost his life a week later.

“Not only did their attack leave Christopher unconscious on the ground, Jay Byrne then returned to the scene to deliver a sickening further kick to Christopher’s head.

“Ultimately, all three have been proven to have taken a man’s life in a sequence of extreme violence which is hard to comprehend.

“This has been an extensive investigation, where CCTV and other evidence has been vital in securing these convictions, and as a result, three dangerous people have been removed from the community for the foreseeable future. We hope that this outcome at least provides Christopher’s family and friends some comfort as they continue to come to terms with the awful events that night.

“I’d like to thank all of those people who provided information during our investigation, which understandably shocked the whole community. Keep providing information to us and we will take action, both to investigate incidents when they happen, and to target disrupt those who would look to bring violence onto our streets.”