Frank Shannon jailed for eight years after beating a Formby man unconsious

A ‘bi-curious’ thug who beat a Formby pensioner unconscious after meeting him on a dating website was jailed for eight years.

The 73-year-old was dragged to the floor, punched, tied up with a telephone cord and choked by Frank Shannon, 30, after they had sex at the victim’s home in Formby.

Liverpool Crown Court heard how the pensioner came round to find Shannon, of Ascot Drive, Kirkby, loading his car with his belongings and demanding the keys.

Judge David Aubrey, QC, said Shannon had subjected his victim to the “terrifying ordeal” after “an explosion of inexplicable violence”.

Judge Aubrey said: “That ordeal was accompanied by an extreme level of violence.

“That violence was wanton and unnecessary in the circumstances of this case, when you were determined to rob a vulnerable victim aged 73-years-old of contents within his own home.”

Chris Hopkins, prosecuting, said the victim regularly went online to meet men and began to exchange messages with Shannon on a website called Vivastreet.

Screengrab of personals on Vivastreet

He invited Shannon to stay over at his home in Formby in April and picked him up from a McDonalds in Kirkby. The court heard how the men watched television, had dinner and drinks before engaging in sexual activity.

Shannon then went outside for a cigarette before launching his furious attack, during which he threatened to kill him.

He then loaded the man’s car with televisions, a sound system and a microwave.

The victim persuaded his attacker to untie the cord so he could get the items, before alerting a neighbour.

Shannon fled on foot but was later caught through his fingerprints.

Liverpool Crown Court

Judge Aubrey said: “On the website you asserted you were looking for ‘fun’.

“What occurred in his own home cannot be classified as such unless you are an extremely dangerous person.”

Shannon, who wore a white T-shirt in the dock and sat staring at the floor throughout the hearing, admitted robbery. He has previous convictions for battery and common assault, which were described as domestic violence cases.

Karl Berry, defending, said it was his client’s “first experimentation with that curiosity” and he had been drinking “to build up Dutch courage”.

He said the dad-of-one, who described himself as “bi-curious”, had a history of “same-sex encounters” and was not homophobic. He said: “I would invite the court to conclude that so far as Mr Shannon’s sexual intention and functioning is concerned, it did not form part of the motivation for the commission of this offence.”

Mr Berry added that violence of this level was “entirely out of character” for Shannon.

The judge said he could not be satisfied that Shannon had trawled the website in order to set up a homophobic attack. However, he said: “Having engaged in consensual sexual activity, you exploded in this way, by pouncing upon this elderly gentleman, dragging him to the floor, punching him and asserting you would kill him.

“While on the floor you were on top of him and you had both your arms around his neck, to the extent that certainly for a while he was rendered unconscious.

“Thereafter you bound him by removing a phone cable from the wall.”

Judge Aubrey said Shannon was a dangerous offender who represented a significant risk to the public.

He jailed him for eight years and handed him an extended three years on licence.

It means Shannon, who waved to supporters in the public gallery as he left court, will serve at least two thirds of his sentence in prison.

Story and photo source: Liverpool Echo