Armed drunk attacked man over £50 ‘debt’
A‘TOTALLY out of control’ knifewielding drunken thug attacked and tried to rob a Runcorn dad walking home from his weekly trip to buy a newspaper.
Aiden Bennett, 25, confronted Mark Bruffell shortly after 10.40am on Saturday, November 30, on Keepers Walk in Castlefields, as Mr Bruffell made his way back from the shop, Chester Crown Court heard last Thursday.
Nardine Nemat, prosecuting, said that Bennett demanded cash, saying ‘I want my money, I want my money now, where’s my money’ and claimed Mr Bruffell’s son owed him £50 he had borrowed.
Despite Mr Bruffell’s protests that his son did not live at his address, Bennett warned him ‘you don’t know what I’m like’ then ran at him and pushed him into metal railings while waving a silver steak knife around.
The victim managed to carry on his way but Bennett – who he described as ‘clearly dangerous’ – then attacked him from behind, punching him in the neck, back and base of the skull.
The punches continued, now to his face, when he turned to face his attacker and they fell to the ground as he tried to defend himself and hit back at Bennett – at which point he spotted Bennett had a second knife.
Mr Bruffell said that when he reached home, Bennett continued to terrorise him, first by planting his foot in the door and trying to barge in, but he was pushed away and dropped his knife and a bottle of vodka in the process.
Bennett then began kicking the door and shouting ‘you’re a grass’.
Police were called and found Bennett with blood around his mouth and on his hands on Keepers Walk near Castlefields shops.
A tip from a member of the public who had seen Bennett discard two knives ensured a police constable found them quickly.
Mr Bruffell suffered a swelling and ‘large lumps’ to the back of the head and his jaw, and another large lump and cut to his eyebrow.
His left wrist was also painful and he missed two days of work and £250 in lost earnings because he had to have his toe bound with strapping due it being sore after the attack.
In a victim impact statement read to the court by Miss Nemat, Mr Bruffell said that although his injuries had recovered ‘completely’, he said that ‘mentally I will find this incident hard to forget’.
He said: “This happened during daylight hours.
“I sometimes worry if it will happen again.
“That day I simply went to the local shop on the estate to get a newspaper.
“I normally do this every weekend and have never had anything like this happen to me before.
“I was attacked and threatened by a male holding two knives.
“Luckily I managed to fight him off and get back to my home address.
“He followed me and barged in.
“I managed to get him out of my property.
“He continued to kick the door. He was totally out of control.”
He added: “The male is clearly a dangerous man and I fear him.”
Bennett, who appeared wearing a white T-shirt via videolink, pleaded guilty last Thursday to one count of attempted robbery and two of having a bladed article in public.
He pleaded on the basis that he had not entered Mr Bruffell’s home address and had not held the knife to his throat.
The court heard he was on a conditional discharge at the time of the address and had two previous cautions but had never served time in custody.
He received 25% credit for his guilty pleas.
Jeremy Rawson, defending, said Bennett was remorseful and regrets the incident, has worked since leaving school in a variety of jobs and is occupying himself well in custody and working.
Mr Rawson said: “He had a drink regrettably.
“He felt wrong done to him, and it got the better of him and he embarked on this frankly stupid activity.”
Judge Woodward sentenced Bennett to four years in prison and imposed a five-year restraining order.
During his summing up, he said: “It was a persistent and very lengthy ordeal that you put him through
“And during the ordeal you repeatedly punched him, you threatened him with a knife and you pursued him to his home and even there you were kicking on his door while he was inside.
“You accept that at the time you were drunk.
“Although you are very lightly convicted you were subject to a conditional discharge at the time of this offence.
“These are clearly aggravating features.”