Brutal Triple Attack Outside Clayton Pub Lands Thugs Behind Bars
Ben Cronshaw, 24, has been slammed with a hefty six-year-plus jail term for his part in a brutal three-on-one assault outside the Royal Oak pub in Clayton-le-Moors last October. The savage attack left a man badly injured and exposed a trail of violence linked to Cronshaw and his mates.
Knife Threats and Flying Bricks: Chaos at the Royal Oak
The drama exploded after a bust-up inside the Royal Oak on Sparth Road spilled outside. Cronshaw, alongside David Osbaldeston, 28, and Aaron Walsh, 24, turned violent when landlady’s partner Terry Burt stepped out to break up the fight.
- Cronshaw and crew waved a knife threateningly at Burt.
- Osbaldeston hurled a brick at Burt’s head.
- Walsh threw another brick towards the pub.
Fifty-year-old Mr Burt suffered a nasty head wound needing stitches. The dangerous trio then fled the scene, leaving chaos behind.
Earlier Stabbing Tied to Theft and Threats
But Cronshaw’s trouble didn’t start there. On July 3 last year, he stabbed a man in his 30s after the victim confronted him over breaking into his partner’s car and using her stolen bank card at a nearby off-licence.
The confrontation turned ugly on Hereford Road, Blackburn, when Cronshaw threatened to send Osbaldeston after the victim. Moments later, the victim felt a sharp jab in his back – a knife attack that left him seriously wounded.
When arrested, Cronshaw claimed he found the bank card and admitted to using it fraudulently. He initially denied being at the stabbing but changed his story after CCTV evidence surfaced, bizarrely claiming the “knife” was actually a Bunsen burner.
Heavy Sentences for Dangerous Offenders
Cronshaw pleaded guilty to Section 18 wounding, theft from a vehicle, fraud by false representation, and carrying a bladed article. He was jailed for six years and eight months and slapped with a two-year extended licence as a dangerous offender.
Walsh admitted violent disorder and will serve 32 months concurrently. Osbaldeston and Walsh received a combined total of over 27 years for their parts in the Royal Oak rampage.
“The shocking and excessive use of violence by Cronshaw and his co-defendants could quite easily have resulted in somebody being killed. Their actions were reckless and cowardly, especially as the victims were unarmed,” said DC Liam Jarman, East CID.
“I hope these sentences make clear how seriously police and courts treat offences involving weapons. If you carry a weapon, you risk serious injury or jail.”
This savage spree has finally met its match in the courts, sending a stark warning to violent thugs terrorising Lancashire’s streets.
