Doncaster, England – A group of men in balaclavas armed with bats and machetes have been sentenced to a total of over 50 years in prison after a brutal attack on two teenage boys in an abandoned warehouse. John and Robert Mahoney, Kian Carte, and Mark Siddall were convicted of assaulting a 15-year-old and a 16-year-old in the Askern area of Doncaster on 11 April 2023.
The group viciously attacked the boys with their weapons, leaving the 16-year-old in excruciating pain and fearing for his life. The victim’s head was bleeding profusely and he feigned death to make the attackers stop. Despite this, one of the assailants still threatened to kill him with a machete, prompting the teenager to plead with him to end his suffering due to the severity of his injuries.
The young victim later recounted feeling as though he was going to die and experiencing a sensation of leaving his body. After the attackers fled, he was rushed to the hospital and underwent a lengthy surgery to address significant injuries to his arms, face, back, and head.
The other 15-year-old victim suffered cuts and stab wounds to his back from a zombie knife before managing to seek help at an address on Manor Road. He endured deep cuts to his hand and back, as well as a serious head injury.
The Mahoney brothers, Carte, and Siddall were all apprehended and charged with attempted murder before eventually admitting to two counts of assault causing grievous bodily harm (GBH) at Sheffield Crown Court on 30 August 2023.
Today, at Sheffield Crown Court, the four perpetrators were sentenced to a combined total of 53 years and eight months in prison. Detective Sergeant Kath Coulter described the attack as “utterly abhorrent” and emphasized the severe and lasting impact it will have on the two young boys.
John Mahoney, 38, of Laurel Terrace, Skellow, was handed a 13-year prison sentence, while his brother, Robert Mahoney, 41, of Crossfield Lane, Skellow, received the same term. Kian Carte, 22, of Laurel Terrace, Skellow, was sentenced to 14 years behind bars, including a separate charge of possession with intent to supply Class A drugs. Mark Siddall, 39, of Acacia Road, Skellow, was sentenced to 13 years and eight months, in addition to an extra count of occasioning actual bodily harm (ABH) for a separate attack in Bridlington in August 2022.
Detective Sergeant Coulter expressed satisfaction at the convictions and lengthy sentences, hoping that they bring some closure to the victims as they work to recover from the physical and mental trauma inflicted upon them.