Victim pulls cleaver out of own head
A MAN had to pull a meat cleaver out of his OWN HEAD after being stabbed by his girlfriend’s ex-partner in a terrifying attack.
Anthony Thompson, 28, has been jailed for life with a minimum of 21 years after pleading guilty to attempting to murder Cameron Sharp and possessing a six-inch meat cleaver.
A judge said it was ‘pure chance’ Mr Sharp had not been killed.
Manchester Crown Court heard that former bus driver Thompson, from Bolton, was involved in a dispute with Mr Sharp, who is now in a relationship with his former partner Nicola Crossley.
The court was told that on September 2, at about 6am, Thompson drove to Ms Crossley’s home in Radcliffe in the hope of finding Mr Sharp.
He came across Mr Sharp, who was walking to his parents’ house.
Thompson pulled over and, armed with a meat cleaver, ran towards him, shouting ‘I’m going to kill you. You are a ******* dead man.’ Thompson hit Mr Sharp three or four times in the body with the cleaver.
Mr Sharp shouted to a nearby motorist to call the police. He was momentarily able to get away, but was again caught by Thompson, who stabbed him in the head with the cleaver. The blade became ‘embedded’ in Mr Sharp’s skull and he ‘levered it out’ himself, prosecutor Andrew Mackintosh said.
Before collapsing, he was able to phone Ms Crossley to warn her to leave her home. Thompson was later arrested and told officers he did not intend to kill Mr Sharp.
The victim suffered five or six deep wounds to his scalp, two to his hip, one to his back and another to his arm.
In a victim impact statement, Mr Sharp said: “I remember the sound of the meat cleaver hitting my skull. I kept thinking ‘I don’t want to die.’”
Thompson has previously been convicted of three offences of battery towards Ms Crossley, who had a restraining order imposed against him.
Thompson was convicted of assault after headbutting and biting Mr Sharp’s ear at Manchester Magistrates Court before a related court appearance.
Defending, Amos Waldman said Thompson shows genuine remorse.
Sentencing, Judge David Stockdale QC said Thompson’s attitude towards Ms Crossley was ‘obsessive’ and ‘highly dangerous,’ and said it was ‘pure chance’ that his victim was not killed.
Thompson, of Plodder Lane, Farnworth, Bolton, will serve half of his sentence in prison before being considered for parole.