A woman hacked at an unconscious man's legs with a kitchen knife before her father bit him in the face and kicked him. Paul Griffin knocked Gareth Rowlands out with his first punch outside the home of his daughter, Hollie Griffin.
As Mr Rowlands lay motionless, Paul Griffin continued to 'direct numerous blows' at him while his daughter attacked him with the same knife her father had used while cooking a roast dinner moments earlier. With the assault captured on camera, Paul Griffin sank his teeth into Mr Rowlands' face.
He then smashed his victim's head into the ground before kicking him so hard that his flip flop came off, the Liverpool Echo reports. The father-daughter duo were covered in blood as police arrived and claimed to have acted in self-defence, Liverpool Crown Court heard yesterday (December 16).
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Mr Rowlands, a stranger to the family, had attended Hollie Griffin's address on Mount Avenue in Higher Bebington, Wirral, "appearing drunk and aggressive" at around 10pm on June 20 this year. A verbal altercation lasting several minutes was filmed by a neighbour through their window before 38-year-old Mr Rowlands struck out at Paul Griffin with a can of drink.
The 46-year-old defendant, of Ribblesdale Close in Eastham, responded by swinging a retaliatory punch which knocked him out instantly. But the stomach-churning footage, which was played to the court, showed the parent and child then begin an onslaught of violence.
Stella Hayden, prosecuting, described how Paul Griffin "directed numerous blows" towards him as 28-year-old Hollie "struck him to the legs with a knife repeatedly". The former had been making a roast dinner prior to the incident and had taken kitchen knife outside with him, dropping it at one point before it was picked up by his daughter.
He then bit Mr Rowlands in the face with such severity that his "head rose from the floor". His head was then "slammed to the floor twice" before Mr Griffin delivered "a kick to the head" as he walked away - his flip flop flying off his foot and down the street as he delivered this final blow.
The incident was reported to the police, and officers discovered Mr Rowland lying in the street with a "pool of blood" around his head. He was rushed to Aintree Hospital, where it was discovered that he had suffered fractured eye sockets
The joiner and dad-of-three is no longer able to work as a result, and will be left permanently scarred as a result of the attack. He is still awaiting further surgery on his facial injuries, with wounds on his leg having required stitches.
The Griffins, who were stood nearby "covered in blood" when police arrived, were arrested. The dad claimed to have acted in self-defence under interview.
Hollie Griffin, who appeared via video link to HMP Styal, has 17 previous convictions for 31 offences. She was told off by the judge for vaping in the booth while the hearing was about to start, but later held her head in her hands during the sentence.
Anna Duke, defending, said: "This young lady was in the comfort and safety of her own home. The complainant had issues with her.
"They are not known to each other and she had no issues with him. Quite clearly, the initial knock on the door seemed to be aggressive and confrontational.
"Her dad seems to have been assaulted and she overreacted in the worst possible way. The camera doesn't lie, but you don't know what's going on behind the scene in relation to someone's mental health.
"There is no defence in this case. But it gives some explanation to how this young lady behaved in such an untoward way on the day in question."
Paul Griffin, who appeared on video from HMP Altcourse, has a total of 14 convictions for 26 offences. He was last before the courts for assault occasioning actual bodily harm in 2014 after attacking a man during a road rage incident.
Bernice Campbell, appearing on behalf of the railways supervisor, told the court that his son had died in a crash in 2018. She added: "He has not dealt with his grief and he is still struggling with it.
"Mr Griffin constantly tried to stop his daughter from getting involved. He was saying what he was going to do to his daughter - he was going to slash her and burn her house down.
"It was only when struck, that was the starting point - that was the flashpoint. He was trying to keep his cool.
"It was the first strike that made this all explode. It is quite clear Mr Griffin lost it."
Both Griffins admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent and possession of a bladed article in a public place. Hollie Griffin was jailed for 40 months, with Paul handed six years.
Sentencing, Judge Clement Goldstone KC said: "This was revenge, pure and simple, and a complete and utter loss of temper. It was gratuitous and wanton violence."
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