A mother has issued a five-word warning to a love rival after her killer boyfriend's romantic fling ended in a violent street attack. Anthony Gaskell and his partner Leanne Scott lay in wait for the other woman before battering her in the early hours.
Couple Worked as a Team
Liverpool Crown Court heard that Gaskell had started a relationship with Gemma McMullen during a break with Scott, the mother of his children. After reconciling, the couple worked as a team to carry out an unprovoked assault. Scott sent a threatening message afterward: Now keep your trap shut.
The Attack
On December 4 last year, as McMullen walked home along Marshfield Road in Croxteth, Scott confronted her and repeatedly punched her in the head. When McMullen tried to flee, Gaskell chased her and struck her several times to the face and ribs. She required hospital treatment for wounds to her head and hand.
Defendants' Backgrounds
Gaskell, 46, has a previous murder conviction from 2003 for stabbing care worker Paul Connolly. He was sentenced to life in prison. Scott, 40, has prior convictions for assault. Both admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
Sentencing
Gaskell was jailed for 12 months. Scott received an eight-month suspended sentence, 15 days of rehabilitation, and was ordered to pay £300 compensation. Recorder Anna Pope KC noted they acted as a team and that Scott's threatening message aimed to silence the victim.
