A TEENAGE boy was forced to “leap” over a wheelie bin after a man stabbed him with a machete outside his house in Liscard.
Shaun Wilkinson, 31, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to possessing an offensive weapon in a public place and wounding with intent after he attended the 15-year-old victim's address in Liscard at around 6.30pm on Saturday, August 10.
He appeared in Liverpool Crown Court via video link from HMP Liverpool today (Tuesday, November 26).
The court heard how the victim’s sister had allegedly been bullied by a group of people from her school who had turned up outside her house.
The victim then came out of the house to “see off” the group in a bid to protect his sister.
This was reported back to Wilkinson by one of the girls in the group who then made the decision to confront the victim.
Wilkinson took a machete in a rucksack before making his way to the victim’s address.
Camera footage showed Wilkinson outside the home pausing to “rearrange” the machete in his bag so it was available with the handle at the top.
Wilkinson then knocked on the victim’s door where he caught the attention of the victim’s mother who spoke briefly to Wilkinson through the bedroom window.
The court heard how Wilkinson threatened twice to “burn the house to the ground” and to “end her son” he also added “just ask anybody about me”.
The 15-year-old boy then came round to the side of the house and when Wilkinson saw him, he “drew his machete”.
The victim, who saw the knife and realised the danger he was in, was described in court as “vaulting” over a wheelie bin to escape Wilkinson.
However, Wilkinson raised the machete as the boy exposed his right side and “chopped down” catching him under his right armpit.
The court was informed that the victim was left with a wound measuring 4cm wide, 8cm long and 3cm deep.
Gerald Baxter, prosecuting, told the court that the laceration was a “grave injury” and it was treated in hospital via surgery.
The victim had “recovered well post operation” and was discharged the day after the operation
Mr Baxter also informed the court that Wilkinson had 56 convictions for 142 previous offences.
Nicola Daley, defending, said: “The defendant wishes for me from the outset to apologise to the court after last week he got very cross and irate - he was very concerned.
“The defendant is still only 31 and he knows he is going to spend a long amount of years in prison.
“He shouted threats about what he wanted to do when he knows he shouldn’t have.”
Sentencing, Judge Denis Watson KC, said: “On August 10 you had an article with a bladed point described as a machete which has never been recovered.
“That is in my judgement a grave injury and only his immediate apprehension and athletic vault meant his injury was not a lot worse.
“The victim was vulnerable due to his age and being at his home address.
“The machete was a highly dangerous weapon for revenge on your behalf.
“You had planned to use it by bringing it in a rucksack. You have caused physical impact and psychological impact to three victims including the victim, his mother and his sister all of whom who have had to pick up the pieces since the attack.
“His sister was a target of a mob instinct.
“Your record is a significant aggravating feature - looking at your record one would note and move on from juvenile convictions but you have convictions of a bladed article as a juvenile at 19, attempted robbery and burglary at 20, and at 24 of bladed articles one of them when you were in custody.
“Those are seriously aggravating factors in my judgement.
“A risk assessment said you were high risk to general public, road users and anyone who has an altercation with you.
“You pleaded guilty at magistrates and in interview you said it was not you on footage and answered no comment. You also hid the weapon.
“Failure to cooperate can tell its own story. You are someone who qualifies as a dangerous offender and at high risk of reoffending.”
Wilkinson was sentenced to 13 years in custody, eight of which he will serve in prison where he will serve a minimum of two thirds, while the other five will be served as a yet to be extended determinate sentence.
The judge also ordered three indefinite restraining orders against him to stop him from contacting the victim, his sister and his mother and not to enter the street they live on.
Following receiving his sentence, Wilkinson said to the judge, “sound, nice one” as he walked off camera.
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