Suspect charged and named after man glassed in face during “appalling” Birkenhead attack

A man has been charged by Merseyside Police after reportedly glassing a victim in the face during an “appalling, unprovoked attack” outside a pub by Tranmere Rovers’ football stadium at the weekend.

Police were called to the incident outside the Prenton Park pub on Borough Road at around 1am on Sunday.

A man was arrested after he injured himself by running into a bus stop whilst trying to get away from police.

Robert Eaton, aged 23, of Woodchurch Road, Oxton has now been charged with Section 47 assault, attempted Section 18 wounding and possession of an offensive weapon.

Police said they were treating the incident as a hate crime, as the victim believed the assault was motivated by his gender identity.

Eaton has been remanded into custody and will appear in at Wirral Adult Remand Court on Tuesday.

On Sunday, detective inspector John Holden said: “This was an utterly appalling, unprovoked attack, which police are treating as a hate crime.

“It is completely abhorrent to think that someone could be subject to such physical abuse simply because of their gender identity.

“Merseyside Police stands against hate crime perpetrated against LGBT+ people and we simply will not tolerate people being targeted in this way.”