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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
National
Amy Walker

'I’m going to kill you with this': Gatecrasher slashed stranger with garden TROWEL used to shovel dog poo in party attack

A gatecrasher slashed a stranger's wrist with a garden trowel and yelled: "I'm going to kill you with this".

Lee Taylor, 43, burst through the gate whilst six friends were enjoying a party in Stockport.

He grabbed the trowel used to shovel dog poo and started swinging it around, a court heard.

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Taylor accused partygoers of a bullying a pal before slashing a stranger and leaving him with a gaping 5cm wound.

He was ‘agitated and aggressive’ and shouted: “Stop bullying Jay, stop picking on him!”

The gatecrasher squared up to one of the pals, causing the victim to get in between them to diffuse the situation.

Taylor, of Stockport, then picked up a trowel from nearby and slashed his wrist, which needed nine stitches.

Lee Taylor, of Stockport, was handed a suspended sentence (Manchester Evening News)

At Minshull Street Crown Court, Taylor was handed a suspended sentence after pleading guilty to wounding and breach of a suspended sentence.

Prosecutor Clare Thomas said that the victim had gone to a friend’s house on May 25 and enjoy the weather and was sitting in the communal garden when all of a sudden, Taylor came in through the gate.

“He was agitated and aggressive and started shouting words to the effect of ‘Stop bullying Jay, stop picking on him’”, she said.

“The victim stood up and went to leave, but the defendant carried on shouting: 'do you want some, go on, raise your hands, throw the first punch'.

“The victim and others asked him to leave, at which the defendant squared up to another man.

“The victim stood in between them, and the defendant grabbed a trowel which was leaning against the wall and used to get rid of dog faeces.”

Taylor then slashed towards the man and cut through his wrist.

Witnesses described Taylor as going ‘ballistic’ and said when he picked up the trowel he told them: “I’m going to kill you with this”.

Another witness said he was being ‘irate’ before he began squaring up to others in the garden.

Minshull Street Crown Court (MEN Media)

The man received treatment in hospital for a 5cm gaping wound in which deep tissue was exposed.

He was given a cast and a tetanus injection, as well as nine stitches to close the wound, the prosecutor said.

He has since moved away.

Taylor later attended at the police station and during an interview he told officers he picked up the trowel to defend himself after a friend said they were being bullied by the group.

He claimed he had been set upon by two men and taken to the floor and grabbed out at the trowel before swinging it around and said he thought he had cut somebody.

Taylor was said to have four previous convictions for seven offences including an assault occasioning actual bodily harm against an ex-girlfriend, to which he was handed a suspended sentence in June 2018.

Mitigating, barrister Rachel Faux said her client suffered with a neurological injury as a result of a head injury and had been drinking at the time.

“This incident was sparked because of a belief there had been some verbal attack, or bullying, of his friend,” she said.

“There is no suggestion this was right - he did it out of misplaced loyalty.

“Alcohol has clearly been a feature in his life.”

Sentencing, Recorder Alex Leach QC said: “I have seen a report which explains your neurological condition in which you suffer with disinhibition, caused by a head injury.

“I am satisfied that it impacts on your ability for judgement - but I am also aware of the impact of alcohol too.

“You need to stop drinking alcohol.”

Taylor, of Sylvester Avenue, was sentenced to 15 months imprisonment which was suspended for two years, 200 hours unpaid work, a nine month alcohol treatment programme and ten days of rehabilitation activity requirements.

He was also ordered to pay a £100 fine for breaching his suspended sentence, and pay £500 compensation to the victim.

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