A man launched a frenzied attack and stabbed his 60-year-old neighbour four times in a long-running row over parking.
Anthony Swarbrick attacked Stanley Greaves on May 19 with a rusty screwdriver then grabbed a claw hammer from his neighbour's tool box and went in search of his wife. Fortunately Mr Greaves managed to disarm Swarbrick who said, “I’ve got issues and I’m not happy with your cameras.”
Mr Greaves pointed out that 59-year-old Swarbrick, of Shrewsbury Avenue, Aintree, had damaged one of his cameras and his daughter’s car and after the defendant walked off, Mr Greaves locked his gates and called the police.
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Liverpool Crown Court heard that during the attack - described by Recorder Ian Harris as “unprovoked, cruel and cowardly” - Swarbrick lunged towards his victim’s stomach with a "thrust of a sword" type motion. Mr Greaves was particularly worried as he had previously had major stomach surgery.
When Swarbrick lunged at him “Mr Greaves turned to the side and brought his arm up in an effort to protect himself. Swarbrick then stabbed Mr Greaves about four times with the screwdriver head pointing downwards.
Sarah Griffin, prosecuting, told the court: "He made contact to the right arm above the elbow and in the lower back side in what Mr Greaves said was a frenzy. Mr Greaves didn’t feel pain initially and he was able to run away, with Swarbrick running behind him. Mr Greaves said ‘do you realise what you’ve done? You’ve stabbed me’."
The court heard Swarbrick responded "I know what I’ve done, you should ring the police". Miss Griffin said: "He mentioned again wanting Mr Greaves to move the car, that was his preoccupation.
"Swarbrick said ‘Where’s your wife?” and grabbed a claw hammer from Mr Greaves’ toolbox and headed towards the back door of Mr Greaves’ house. Mr Greaves took the hammer from him telling him ‘there was no need for this’".
At hospital the victim had a CT scan of his chest, abdomen and pelvis and needed a tetanus injection, pain relief and a staple to close an injury to his elbow. He had a wound to the back of his chest wall, a graze to front abdominal wall and a wound to his elbow. In a victim impact statement, Mr Greaves described the attack as "a frightening experience that he would never expect to occur on his own driveway."
He stated he would be concerned if “Swarbrick were to return because he does not now know what he is capable of.” Miss Griffin told the court that Swarbrick has one previous conviction for harassment and a Bail Act offence in 2006. The defendant pleaded guilty to wounding and having an offensive weapon.
Charles Lander, defending, said that his client lives with his mother in a house which is separated from Mr Greaves’ home by Eldon Road. He said there were references from relatives speaking highly of him and it was a tragedy for a man of his age, with no convictions for violence, to be in court.
Mr Lander said that a report shows he is on the autism spectrum disorder and there had been a long standing build up of paranoia over parking issues.
Mr Lander said: “I do not say that is an excuse for what happened that day" but suggested that Swarbrick did not react to circumstances like other people. He explained that the defendant would walk for four or five hours a day as he had to get out of his home because of the paranoia building up because of the car parking issues.
The judge, Recorder Ian Harris said that the victim was off work for two weeks after the incident during which Swarbrick stabbed him four times. “You lost your temper.”
He said that the defendant had traits of autism and displayed social anxiety for many years and experienced delusional thinking. A probation report said that he poses a high risk of serious harm but psychological intervention would be helpful to reduce his risk of offending.
Recorder Harris sentenced him to 28 months imprisonment and imposed an indefinite restraining order to keep away from his victim.
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