The ex-boyfriend of Calendar Girls star Jennifer Ellison who took part in a vicious gangland sword attack on a boxer has been jailed. Anthony Richardson, 32, was caught on camera battering Lee Siner with a car crook lock after chasing him up the stairs and throwing a chair at him. The two other attackers then hacked at the victim cutting his upper arms and legs in a fearsome revenge attack following a petty dispute.
Mr Siner, 27, had been dining in the Mediterranean restaurant Kimos, near Toxteth, Liverpool, when he was ambushed by three masked men armed with a samurai sword and baseball bat. Richardson, who has had a string of celebrity girlfriends, was jailed for eight-and-a-half years yesterday for the attack carried out last October.
He dated Steven Gerrard's wife Alex Curran until 2002 before dating Jennifer Ellison and later Celebrity Big Brother winner Chantelle Houghton. Miss Ellison revealed Richardson was abusive and used to beat her in an interview in 2008. She is now married to rugby player Robbie Tickle and they have a 22-month old son, Bobby. Liverpool Crown Court was told victim Lee Siner refused to help Merseyside Police with their enquiries, such is the fearsome reputation of Richardson and his fugitive accomplice James 'Pancake' Taylor.
It is thought the revenge attack was carried out after Mr Siner 'knocked out' Taylor in a prison visiting room brawl at Garth prison in Preston. The whereabouts of Taylor, who is well known in the Liverpool underworld for random outbursts of terrifying violence, are unknown. Detective Chief Inspector Chris Green from Merseyside Police said: 'The sentence handed down to Anthony Richardson reflects the severity and vicious nature of this assault. 'Despite this, the investigation into this matter is still ongoing and we are not complacent.
'I'm anxious to speak to anyone who has information about James Taylor.'Nigel Power QC, defending, said his client only learned of the plot to attack Mr Siner while he was driving Taylor and another man to the restaurant. After hearing the police wanted to question him over the kebab shop attack in August, Richardson handed himself in and admitted wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. Despite having previous convictions for public order and driving offences, Judge Nigel Gilmour QC said: 'There is nothing in your record to suggest you would do something so criminal and stupid. 'You are now paying the price for that stupidity.'