Kane Drummond, 25, was originally given a suspended sentence for a brutal attack outside a takeaway
An Oldham Athletic player who was given a second chance following a savage assault on a man during a night out has failed to comply with any of his court-ordered appointments. Kane Drummond, 25, received a suspended sentence after punching, kicking and stamping on his victim outside a Liverpool city centre takeaway.
The attack took place on December 12, 2022, outside Pizza King on Berry Street. Oldham Athletic forward Drummond and two of his former teammates, Leon Arnasalam and Rio Merrifield, became embroiled in a dispute with victim Shayan Lawrence after Merrifield “made a joke about one of the defendants scratching his car”.
The altercation escalated as Drummond, Arnasalam and Merrifield were caught on CCTV repeatedly striking Mr Lawrence as he lay defenceless on the ground. The victim sustained a fractured spine as a result of the attack.
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All three defendants pleaded guilty to assault causing grievous bodily harm at Liverpool Crown Court in May last year. Drummond, of Mozart Street in Toxteth, was handed a 20-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months, and instructed to complete 200 hours of unpaid work alongside a rehabilitation activity requirement of up to 20 days.
He returned to court on February 19, where he admitted violating the conditions of his suspended sentence by failing to attend unpaid work appointments, reports the Liverpool Echo.
Prosecutor Olivia Bell said: “The defendant failed to attend his first appointment for unpaid work in November, and a subsequent appointment in December.
“This defendant has not attended any unpaid work sessions. Since January, he has failed to attend six unpaid work appointments. He’s also attended no further supervision appointments. No further rehabilitation activity days have been completed – 20 remain outstanding.
“Notwithstanding this is a defendant who has shown persistent, wilful noncompliance with this order, probation has taken the view that they would be willing to work with with the defendant, as a degree of flexibility has been afforded to the defendant as I understand he’s a professional footballer and has a baby on the way.”
Paul Becker, defending, said Drummond, a Liverpool FC academy graduate, formerly played for Warrington and Macclesfield, and was now a striker for Oldham Athletic.
He said: “He understands that his commitments to his football club are no excuse as to why he’s not complying with the orders of the court. His concern was that if he failed to attend training, he would be in trouble with the club, he would be dropped from the team, and he wouldn’t be able to play.
“I have explained that’s all well and good, but if he doesn’t attend the appointments and is now in breach of the suspended sentence order, then he goes to jail. So if he didn’t understand the seriousness of the order, he does now.”
He added: “The defendant appreciates now that he needs to take this court order seriously. I have also instructed him that he needs to explain this to the club.
“I ask you to give him a further chance. The offence itself goes back to 2022 and he’s lightly convicted. I submit there’s a realistic prospect of rehabilitation. He’s a family man, he has a professional job and I would ask Your Honour to give him a further opportunity.”
Her Honour Judge O’Brien said “I have to say it’s not a good start”, but agreed to adjourn the case until April 15 “to see what the defendant has done” by then.
Mr Becker said Drummond “may well be spending the summer break in jail” if he continued to fail to attend his appointments.
Addressing Drummond, Judge O’Brien said: “You need to do the unpaid work in the meantime. It’s not for probation to be chasing around after you, trying to get you to do something the court has ordered you to do.
“You need to do the work and demonstrate you’re able to comply with the order, or the starting point is that the sentence is activated and you will be sent to prison.”
Following the court’s decision, Drummond was seen running out of court with his jacket over his head.


