THIS is the moment a murderer exploded in a fit of rage on a town centre street in an eerie foreshadowing of the fatal assault he carried out less than a year later.
Daniel Sharples
The enraged 38-year-old kicked his disabled victim in the face as he sat in his wheelchair before tipping him out of the chair, and even continued attacking him as he lay motionless on the floor.
Mr Mairs, of Church Street in Howley, died in Warrington Hospital three weeks later at the age of 53.
READ MORE: From a boozy breakfast to a brutal murder - The tragic events which led to death
A prior warning over Sharples’ unpredictable temperament came less than a year previously, when the killer lashed out in anger at a woman and trashed the shopfront of a greengrocers.
In an incident captured on CCTV at around 9pm on Monday, October 30 2018, he appeared to throw an object at the window of Rigby’s Finest Fresh Foods on Sankey Street before kicking out at the glass.
Video footage showed him pushing his female companion away before shoving her to the floor as she attempted to retrieve the projectile.
Sharples then continued to kick and punch the window before leaving the area in the direction of Market Gate.
He caused £4,250 of damage to the store, and later admitted three counts of criminal damage – having also damaged a police vehicle and his cell in custody following his arrest – as well as threatening behaviour, racially aggravated threatening behaviour, resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer.
In March 2019, the martial arts enthusiast was fined and told to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.
This was one of Sharples’ nine previous convictions for a total of 25 offences.
READ MORE: Inside the police investigation into Michael Mairs’ murder
He was previously hauled before the same court in 2011 after fraudulently claiming more than £4,000 in benefits.
Magistrates ordered the defendant, then of Valley Court in Padgate, to pay back his ill-gotten gains in jobseekers’ allowance, housing benefit and council tax benefit and handed him 80 hours of community service.
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