Crazed kickboxer jailed after machete rampage
POLICE FORCED TO TASER 25-YEAR-OLD AFTER HE DRANK 15 BOTTLES OF DESPERADO
A CRAZED kickboxer had to be Tasered twice by police after he brushed off a stab wound to his chest to go on a machete rampage.
Kevin Turner, 25, had been knifed during a fight in a nightclub but despite his injuries he stormed over to his car and grabbed the two-foot meat cleaver from the boot of his car.
The wounded father-of-one then ran back with the serrated blade and began swinging it wildly from sideto-side at terrified revellers as they hurled beer at him in bid to fight him off.
Three police officers called to Bar 409 club in Failsworth, near Oldham tried to overpower Turner by firing a 50,000 volt Taser gun at him but were forced to unleash a second round before he finally collapsed to the ground.
It emerged the keep-fit fanatic was ‘10 out of 10’ drunk after knocking back 15 bottles of tequila flavoured Desperado beer which has an alcohol content of 5.9pc. He later had surgery to repair the knife wound, which required five stitches.
At Minshull Street Crown Court Turner, from Moston, wept as he was jailed for 12 months after he admitted affray and possessing a bladed weapon.
The 2.40am incident occurred on July 21 after Turner – an expert in Muay Thai boxing – had gone out and got drunk after a row with his girlfriend.
Prosecutor Justin Hayhoe said: “Police officers on duty were spoken to by a man who said there was another man carrying a machete in the area. They established he was going towards the 409 nightclub and was swinging a two-foot black machete at the crowd of people outside the nightclub.
“The police officer opened his car door and heard lots of screaming and shouting. People were throwing beer and cups at him to make him stop. But the defendant was swinging the machete left and right at the crowd nearly hitting them. The officer feared there may be serious injuries; it was a 10-inch blade.
“He was shocked by what was going on and concerned regarding the terror threat he could pose. He told Turner to drop the weapon as he was facing away from him. But Turner turned towards the officer and the machete was held high.
“The officer feared for his own safety and drew his Taser. He discharged one Taser and shouted at him to drop it, but he didn’t. He discharged a second tTser on the defendant due to the risk and he dropped to the floor. The defendant was then arrested.
“In his interview, he admitted it was a meat cleaver. He said during the incident in 409 he felt pain and then realised he had been stabbed in the fight. He ran to his car to get the weapon. The car was five minutes from the club, so he had ten minutes to calm down but still he returned to where the fight was.
“He had had 15 bottles of Desperado that night, and hadn’t been drinking for five months prior.”
In mitigation, defence lawyer Nicholas Flanagan said: “He works five days a week and has a three-year old child. He has had calls to the police to his house previously, his partner suffered with post-natal depression and had to call the police because of arguments they had.
“His father died four years ago and had a hard last year due to illness. This affected the whole family. He suffered with depression and anxiety from then. He is of previous good character.”
Sentencing Judge John Potter told Turner: “I cannot overlook the seriousness of this offence, so this will require an immediate custodial sentence. People who behave in this way with this kind of weapon have to go to custody.”