Manchester: Bare knuckle fighter Douglas Joyce attacked man, 78

Brute Douglas Joyce, 35, is seen in footage punching his victim in a sickening attack after he'd followed him into a back room of a pub, leaving him seriously injured.

Joyce, a cousin of Big Fat Gypsy Wedding star Paddy Doherty, was wearing a large gold ring when he punched the man in the face, which added to the victim's injuries.

He began shouting and pointing at him, before punching him in the face three times and knocking him off his seat and into the seats next to him, causing him to bleed.

Joyce, the founder and president of 3D Fight Club, continued to stand over the victim in a threatening manner and encouraged his father John Joyce to punch him too.

When the victim stood up, Joyce launched one extremely hard left punch to the victim’s face, causing him to propel backwards over the table and chairs behind him.

Joyce continued to stand directly over him, leaning into him still shouting and pointing, before making one final punch to the victim’s face whilst he was helpless on the ground.

He was today jailed for 19 months by Manchester Crown Court after previously pleading guilty to causing grievous bodily harm.

Greater Manchester Police said the victim was seriously injured in the attack in a pub in Manchester city centre at around 10pm on October 23, 2022.

The force said CCTV evidence pointed to Douglas Joyce being primarily responsible for the man’s injuries and he was arrested and charged with section 18 assault.

Speaking after sentencing, Detective Constable Natalie Hollows said: “Joyce is an aggressive and violent man who intended to intimidate and inflict pain on a vulnerable 78 year old man by carrying out this horrendous assault.

“Joyce was wearing a large gold pyramid-style ring when he punched the man in the face, causing him significant injury due to the size and shape accelerated by force and the series of punches he endured.

“I’m glad Joyce will now face time behind bars as punishment for his actions and hope he takes this time to reflect on the impact of his actions.”

Joyce's father John Joyce, 63, was also sentenced to 18 month community order for assault causing occasioning actual bodily harm for his involvement in this assault.

The family are one of the most high profile members of the traveller community in the UK.

Joyce Jnr was reported to have turned down a role with his cousin in Channel 4's My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding to become 'the next Tyson Fury'.

But they feature in The Joyce Family Documentary on Amazon which 'explores the world of the travelling community'.

Joyce tied the knot with wife Holly in an extravagant ceremony at the Gorton Monastery, Manchester, in July 2022.

The couple previously told how Holly doesn't go out partying or leave the house at night without Joyce accompanying her.

Holly said last August: "The biggest difference being a traveller's wife is you must respect your husband - what he says goes.

"He wouldn't want me out at parties without him, we'd always go together.

"He's the man, so he can go out if he wants, but I'm the woman so I can really only go out with him.

"I can go to the salon or out to the shops on my own, but he's very protective and worries about my safety if I'm out alone."