Dad yelled 'I'll take your f***ing heads off' before hitting man with golf club

Three men grappled with each other on the golf course of a St Helens stately home after rowing about the use of buggies on the grass. Stephen Derbyshire, 62, struck 73-year-old Ronald Conroy twice over the head with his golf club after "the red mist descended" on February 19 this year.

The incident occurred at Berrington Hall Golf Club in Rainford. Victim Ronald Conroy and his friend Robert Crawford, 84, had been driving at the side of the fairway in a golf buggy when they noticed tyre tracks on the mown grass and a group of men playing golf nearby. They shouted to the group that buggies were not allowed on the fairway.

Derbyshire then approached the pair and said: "Why are you so aggressive?" Mr Conroy replied: "I'm not aggressing but you're not supposed to have a buggy on the fairway." Derbyshire said: "Why are you still shouting?" and Mr Conroy said: "I can shout can't I?", which Mr Crawford said they had to shout for the group to hear them.

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Derbyshire, a dad-of-three, then said: "If you keep shouting I'll take your f***ing heads off" while "actioning a swiping motion using the golf club in his hand". Mr Conroy got out of the golf buggy and positioned himself in front of his older friend, and both men told Derbyshire to put the golf club away.

But as Mr Conroy attempted to push Derbyshire away, Derbyshire headbutted him in the face and hit him twice with the golf club, causing him to fall to the ground.

At Liverpool Crown Court yesterday, November 14, prosecutor Sarah Egan said: "He hit him to the head with the golf club. Mr Conroy ended up on the floor; as he fell blood started to pour down his face. He kicked out at the defendant. Mr Crawford said the defendant was still trying to hit Mr Conroy.

"Mr Conroy shouted 'what the f** have you done?' At that point another short scuffle occurred."

Three people from Derbyshire's group approached as the three men grappled with each other, and the fight was broken up. Mr Conroy and Mr Crawford drove back to the clubhouse, where an ambulance was called. Mr Conroy was taken to hospital with a 2.5in cut on his head which needed gluing.

Ms Egan said: "The defendant admitted making a threat and said he didn't know why he did this. He said he didn't mean to hurt the complainant. He goes onto admit he did headbutt Mr Conroy and hit him with the golf club; he said he did that to protect himself, but was ashamed of his behaviour."

In a victim statement, Mr Conroy said: "I don't know what would have happened if nobody had been there and how I might not be here today. I still experience nightmares periodically and it makes me feel very vulnerable. I feel very conscious about that.

"After the incident I suspended my golf membership. At my age, golf became my only recreation and it was a very important part of my life that I feel I have lost."

Derbyshire, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to assault causing grievous bodily harm and common assault. Ben Berkson, defending, said: "This incident can be summarised as a complete loss of control - an incident of head loss.

"The defendant has done much to mitigate his position in light of these offences. There is genuine remorse, prompt guilty pleas to both offences. (He is) someone who has significant responsibilities both at home and at work. The offences represent a single moment in his life and he has lost his good character, his standing in the community, a long term hobby and interest, and these are things that are not easy to build up, but are very easy to lose."

Sentencing Derbyshire, Judge Neil Flewitt KC said: "Mr Conroy wasn't a young man, he was 74. Mr Crawford was 10 years older. You were younger than both of them and should have known better, and you really shouldn't have got involved in this incident.

"I accept this is entirely out of character. You're 62, you have lived a good life and you have never been before the court. I accept you're genuinely remorseful and ashamed. Why you acted this way is hard to fathom. I can only agree that the red mist descended and you behaved in a way that you wouldn't normally behave."

He sentenced Derbyshire, of Ballantyne Way, Lowton, Warrington, to 14 months in prison, suspended for 18 months, and 280 hours of unpaid work. He also ordered him to pay £1,250 compensation to Mr Conroy and £25 to Mr Crawford.