Two men have been jailed for a total of more than 30 years in prison for the robbery of a man in Blackpool.



Dale Docherty, 23, of Dinmore Place, Blackpool and Jonathan Johnstone, 23, of Bowland Crescent, Blackpool, were sentenced at Preston Crown Court.

Around 9.15am on October 15, 2016, police were called by the Ambulance Service following reports of an assault at an address in Withnell Road.

Officers attended and found Christopher Caesar, 36, injured at the scene. He had been violently assaulted and was drifting in and out of consciousness.

Following investigation detectives discovered the victim had been asleep at the address when he was woken by the sound of his door being kicked in.

Dale Docherty entered Mr Caesar’s bedroom and told him to sit in the front room of the property. The victim was then threatened by Johnstone, who demanded cash or drugs before attacking Mr Caesar with a hammer. Docherty was also involved in the incident.

Mr Caesar was taken to hospital having suffered bruising and fractures to his nose and cheekbones. He also had a bleed and swelling to his brain. There it was established the 36-year-old had been receiving chemotherapy treatment for a pre-diagnosed brain tumour.

Johnstone was later arrested, with Docherty going on the run. He was eventually located and arrested in Scotland in December 2016.

Johnstone and Docherty were charged by police, with both pleading guilty at court earlier this month. Docherty was given 16 years in prison and Johnstone was sentenced to 17 years in jail.

Mr Caesar died six months after the attack, with a post mortem showing his death was due to the tumour, not as a result of injuries sustained during the attack.

Temp Det Chief Insp Gareth Willis, of Lancashire Police, said: “This was a violent attack on a defenceless man by two men who showed utter disregard for their victim.

“Docherty and Johnstone targeted Mr Caesar because they knew he was vulnerable.

“Their actions were despicable, leaving Christopher with a number of serious injuries including partial paralysis down his left hand side which caused him to need a wheelchair.

“Although they were not responsible for his death, their collective actions undoubtedly affected his quality of life in the months before he died. In addition the impact upon Christopher’s family cannot be underestimated as they found their lives completely turned upside down.

“Sadly Christopher was never to see justice served, dying from a pre-existing brain tumour several months before today’s verdicts.

“We welcome the sentences imposed and hope they provide some small comfort to Christopher’s family and friends.”

In a tribute, Mr Caesar's family said:

Christopher was diagnosed with an incurable brain tumour seven years ago but despite this he continued to work as a plumber and he would spend his free time with his son, visiting his extended family and having a social life.

While the rest of the family were suffering to come to terms with the news of Christopher’s diagnosis, he always had a positive attitude regarding his illness and he never gave up believing that he could beat it.

Christopher was an integral part of the family and was very much loved by all. He had a very close relationship to his son who he saw every weekend and throughout the school holidays. He also had a very strong bond with his sister who was not only his sister but also his soul mate. He was adored by his nieces and nephew and deeply loved by his mum and dad. He was also a good, reliable friend.

Christopher was a very strong-minded, honest and generous person with a heart of gold and a great sense of humour. His generosity had no bounds. He would rather go without than see someone suffer.

The most important thing to Christopher was his family. The last few months of his life he would often talk about his family and all the happy memories they had together. He was a wonderful human being who will be sadly missed by everyone who knew him, especially his loving family.