Liz Truss, who famously couldn’t outlast our lettuce as PM, recently appeared next to a thug who assaulted a defenceless 78-year-old man to promote his whiskey as she eyes a politics comeback
Ex-prime minister ‘Lettuce’ Liz Truss joined forces with a thug jailed for a sickening attack on a pensioner to plug his brand of Irish whiskey in a bizarre video.
Former Tory leader Truss waved a bottle of Dougie Joyce’s branded booze to camera at Scunthorpe United’s football ground and told his Instagram followers: “Liz Truss loves you”.
Brute Joyce, a cousin of Big Fat Gypsy Wedding star Paddy Doherty who once boasted he was ‘the next Tyson Fury’, was jailed in 2023 for attacking a man of 78 in a pub in Manchester.
He was seen in shocking CCTV footage punching his victim in a sickening attack after he’d followed him into a back room of a pub, leaving him seriously injured.
But Truss didn’t seem to mind his criminal past as she teamed up with the bare knuckle boxer during an event last month. Joyce, dressed in a suit, looks directly at the camera and said his catchphrase: “Just remember, Dougie Joyce loves ya.”
The ex-PM then held up the spirit and beamed: “Liz Truss loves you.” She then awkwardly giggles as Joyce says: “Just remember that, people, we love you all.”
Joyce posted on his Instagram page: “It was a great honour to have former Prime Minister as a special guest at my event.
Her presence was a tremendous support and she took the time to speak about the future of businesses and and the steps we can take moving forward. Having her there truly meant a lot and added a distinguished touch to the occasion.
“I am grateful for her support and the insights she shared, which will undoubtedly inspire us as we all look ahead to 2026 and beyond.”
Joyce, who is part of one of the UK’s most high-profile traveller families, was captured on CCTV attacking the defenceless widower while wearing a large gold ring, which added to the victim’s injuries.
He was seen 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 a vicious 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 jailed for 19 months at Manchester Crown Court in November 2023. His father John Joyce received an 18 month community order for assault causing occasioning actual bodily harm for his part in the attack.
Speaking at the time, DC 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.”
Man sentenced after assaulting a 78-year-old man
Joyce was jailed in May last year after finding himself involved in a violent brawl at a wake, which saw two members of the rival Doherty clan taken to hospital with serious injuries.
The Joyce family are one of the most high profile members of the traveller community in the UK and feature in The Joyce Family Documentary on Amazon which ‘explores the world of the travelling community’.
Dougie Joyce’s wife Holly previously told how she doesn’t go out partying or leave the house at night without him accompanying her, saying in an interview: “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.”
A spokesman for Truss told the Sun she didn’t receive any payment for the promotional clip and insisted she “attended the event to support the people working to regenerate the town” of Scunthorpe.
But as she reportedly considers a comeback to frontline politics, a source told the paper: “She either doesn’t understand the implications or doesn’t care. Either way this is a serious lapse.”
Her disastrous reign as Prime Minister came to an end after after just 49 days as she famously couldn’t outlast the Daily Star lettuce.
Last year she was accused of “propagating conspiracy theories” during a trip to the US and was criticised for remaining silent as far-right activist Tommy Robinson was hailed a “hero”.
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