Blind Runcorn teen caged for attack (From Runcorn and Widnes World)

Blind Runcorn teen caged for attack

1:00pm Wednesday 26th November 2008

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A BLIND teenager who stabbed his fiancée’s father eight times with a 12-inch carving knife has been jailed for two and a half years.

David Clare, aged 18, told police: ‘I am sorry, I stabbed him, I was scared, I am sorry’ when arrested after the attack on Martin Baxter on Saturday, August 30 this year, which left his victim needing 44 stiches.

Warrington Crown Court heard on Monday how the teenager, of Fenwick Lane, Halton Lodge, was at the home of his fiancée, Jody Baxter, when an argument began between her parents.

Matthew Kerruish-Jones, prosecuting, said Mr Baxter had split up with his wife Shirley Baxter in February.

The couple, who had both been drinking, started arguing in an upstairs bedroom.

Clare, Miss Baxter and two friends were drinking downstairs.

They heard Mrs Baxter call for help and Clare, who had drunk approximately a bottle of wine, went in to the kitchen, grabbed a knife and rushed upstairs.

Mr Kerruish-Jones said: “He threatened Mr Baxter, telling him to get out of the house.

“Mr Baxter said ‘make me’ and the defendant stabbed him once.

“He fell to the floor and when on the floor the defendant attacked him several more times with the knife causing stab wounds to his body.”

Clare’s fiancé ran upstairs and forcibly removed the knife from his hand, cutting her hand in the process.

Family and neighbours tried to help Mr Baxter but he was bleeding heavily from his wounds and drifting in and out of consciousness.

He was taken to Warrington Hospital by paramedics where he received treatment for injuries including a 1cm cut to his neck, 2cm cut to his chest, a deep cut to the muscle of his arm, a stab wound to his leg and lacerations causing a blood clot and nerve damage to his back, side and thumb. He needed 44 stitches and spent three days in hospital before taking two weeks off work.

Clare, who has no previous convictions, said he had only intended to threaten Mr Baxter.

Stephen Kemp, defending, said his client, who is registered blind and can only see shapes and movement, had not been able to see exactly what Mr Baxter was doing and had acted instinctively to defend Mrs Baxter.

He added that Clare’s mother had been abused by a violent partner during his youth and this had influenced his actions.

He said: “A factor in this case is the defendant’s own experience of domestic abuse in his childhood. He will regret what he did for the rest of his life.”

Judge David Hale said it was an ‘unusual’ case.

He said: “You have never been in trouble before and no-one could expect that you would ever be in trouble.

“You are registered blind and you are generally a quiet, helpful, responsible, young man.

“In your past and your background you have seen domestic violence as a child and it is unsurprising that you should react adversely when you saw what you believed to be domestic violence in your fiancée’s home.”

However, the judge added that while he could not perceive what Clare had seen during the incident he had continued the attack while his victim was on the floor and that repeatedly using a knife in this way ‘cannot be tolerated’.

Clare’s family sobbed loudly in court as he was sentenced to 30 months in a young offenders institute.

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