A man asked his uncle to take him to France and admitted to doing 'something stupid' after stabbing his rival with a 12-inch chopping knife. Steven Arnold, 23, stabbed Jack Williams inside his white Vauxhall Corsa three times in the leg at around 7.35am on May 15, on Jubits Lane, St Helens.
He then fled the scene and went to visit his relative, pleading with him: "Take me to France, I've done something stupid and I'm going to jail." Instead, his uncle drove him to St Helens police station and turned him in to police officers at the scene of the crime.
Arnold, of Catterall Avenue, Sutton Leach, pleaded guilty to one count of s18 wounding and one count of possession of a bladed article in a public place at Liverpool Crown Court today. Rebecca Smith, defending, said: "Unfortunately the events of the early hours of May 15 completely snowballed out of control and led to Steven Arnold to behave in a way he's certainly not proud of."
The court heard that, at around 5am on May 15 following a night out, Arnold's female friend got into a fight with his ex-girlfriend, and that Arnold had become involved and slapped his ex. After walking his friend home, he made his way to his ex's mother's house, banged on the door and shouted at her to "sort her daughter out."
At the same time, his ex-girlfriend, another girl, and victim Jack Williams went to Arnold's father's house, where Williams was caught on CCTV smashing windows, throwing paint, smashing plant pots and vandalising a car. He threw bricks at Arnold's father and shouted at him to "Get your f***ing son out here."
Calls were exchanged between the two men, and there was an agreement to meet at Clock Face. At 7.30am, Arnold went to his mother's house, armed himself with a 12-inch knife from her kitchen drawer, and left in the direction of Jubits Lane.
She warned him "not to do anything stupid", and followed him in her car. She saw the Corsa parked at the junction of Jubits Lane and Walker Lane, and her son trying to get inside before fleeing with the knife in his hand.
She then saw Williams "crawl out of the car and lie down on the ground." She called 999 and police used a belt to make a tourniquet around Williams' leg before he was rushed to hospital., reports the ECHO.
In a victim statement, he said: "I'm still in pain. I can't sleep on my side due to the pain. I'm on painkillers but they're not working. I have been diagnosed with PTSD due to the stabbing. I'm on medication for my heart rate and anxiety."
Judge Judith Bold, sentencing Arnold, said: "You may have been fearful that Williams would do to your mother's home what he had done to your fathers, but at the time (of the stabbing) he was no danger to you. He was sat down and trying to get away from you."
She sentenced him to a total of seven years and three months in prison, of which he must serve two thirds before being released on licence. He was also subjected to a restraining order forbidding him from contacting Williams.
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