A machete-wielding thug slashed a man in front of terrified drivers.
The street fight broke out between Darren Blease-Maguire and a man he accused of threatening to burn down his flat at about 4pm on Saturday, October 22. Liverpool Crown Court was yesterday (November 23) shown CCTV footage of the incident, which happened on Frederick Street in Widnes.
Bernice Campbell, prosecuting, said a witness watched the fight from her car while stuck in traffic. The retiree could see two men “fighting with each other and swinging their arms at each other”.
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At one point while one man was on the ground, she saw the other - later identified as Blease-Maguire - “had his arm in the air" and brought it down at the other male.
She heard the man on the ground “screaming”, which she described as “harrowing”.
The injured man stood up and fighting continued with jackets held in the men’s hands. The witness said at this point she saw Blease-Maguire was “laughing”
The witness said: “I don’t understand why he was laughing after he’s just injured this man.”
Blease-Maguire’s victim, who was not named in open court, headed to a barbershop and retrieved some blue paper roll for his bleeding arm and came back saying “I’m going to kill him” as a group of pub punters tried to dissuade him from approaching.
Describing her emotions during the “frightening” experience, the motorist added: “I remember being sat there just hoping the traffic would start moving. I felt worried by everything that happened.”
A police officer, PC Christopher Sheffield, reported seeing the injury, which he said was four inches long, and the “machete”, which he said was a “panga-style” which was about 18 inches long.
The victim refused to make a complaint and did not cooperate with the investigation.
Blease-Maguire pleaded guilty at the first opportunity to affray, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and having a blade in public.
Ms Campbell said Blease-Maguire had 15 convictions for 25 offences including battery, public order, possessing Class A and B drugs, failure to comply with a community order, and thefts.
He was subject to a community order at the time of the machete incident.
Jeremy Rawson, defending, pleaded mitigation for the guilty pleas and said Blease-Maguire, now 26, of Bancroft Road, Widnes, accepted imprisonment was “inevitable”.
He said the fight occurred as a result of “continuing bad blood” between his client and the victim, who Blease-Maguire alleged had “made certain threats to the defendant regarding burning his flat down”, which Blease-Maguire took “seriously” because his “partner had recently had a baby”.
Mr Rawson said: “He decided to have matters out.”
He said the situation “escalated”, which Blease-Maguire “bitterly regrets” and “accepts his reaction was over the top”.
The defence barrister added Blease-Maguire trained in catering after leaving school, a skill he has put to use in prison securing work in the kitchen.
Recorder Graham Wells concurred with Mr Rawson the affray should be treated as the lead offence with the other matters as aggravating features.
The judge sentenced Blease-Maguire to 20 months in prison.
During his summing-up he said: “It was 3.50pm in the afternoon, on a sunny, Saturday afternoon, and you were involved in a fight, and clearly the witness was very frightened by what she saw.
“You used a bladed weapon, I’ve seen it.
“I concur with the assessment it’s probably 18 inches long.
“It was a frightening weapon to have in public and you used it to hurt somebody.”
He added: “I’m glad to hear you’re making something of your time in prison as you’re going to be there for a while, as the custody threshold is passed.”
The judge approved the forfeiture and destruction of the machete.
Blease-Maguire appeared for the hearing via videolink from prison wearing a grey jogging suit and speaking to confirm the charges and he understood the sentence.
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