Jail for drug attackers who left Marcus, 19, for dead

TWO drug users have been jailed for a total of almost 20 years for the brutal stabbing of a teenager in Devon who they left for dead.

Marcus Goold only survived the attack when a friend came to his aid and used his hands to stem the bleeding from deep wounds in his abdomen and a police sergeant performed lifesaving first aid.

His attackers, Callum Pillman and Shaun Taylor have been jailed by a judge at Exeter Crown Court after admitting wounding with intent

AMAN who thought he would die alone after a savage stabbing in a car park has thanked the people who saved his life.

Marcus Goold, then 19, was stabbed five times and left for dead during the unprovoked attack in Ilfracombe in January.

As his life hung by a thread, his friend rushed to help and stemmed the bleeding with his hands. Moments later, and with no signs he was breathing, a police sergeant performed first aid and brought Marcus back from the brink. Paramedics, the Devon Air Ambulance crew and surgeons at Derriford Hospital then saved his life.

The harrowing incident was recalled at the sentence of two men at Exeter Crown Court.

Drug-addled friends Callum Pillman and Shaun Taylor admitted wounding with intent and were sentenced to more than 20 years in prison by a judge at Exeter Crown Court.

The court was told the two men arranged to buy drugs from Marcus but arrived wearing masks and Pillman immediately began stabbing him, shouting, “give me everything you’ve got”.

Marcus, who was in court to hear the sentence, said in a victim impact statement that the incident had left deep psychological and physical scars.

He thanked all those who came to his aid saying “if it had not been for my friend I would have been killed. I felt they were trying to finish my life. Without help I would have died. Without the helicopter I would have died.”

The two attackers fled when Marcus’s friend put his hand in his waistband and ran towards the scene pretending he had a weapon.Marcus staggered back to the park. Moments before passing out he was gripped by ‘pure fear’ at the realisation of what had been done to him.

“When I first collapsed I could see my intestines outside of my body and I was completely terrified,” he said. I thought I was going to die there on the floor. I thought I was going to die in the helicopter taking me to hospital. I thought I would die alone. All I wanted was to see and hear from my mum.”

His friends called 999 and police sergeant Dave Thubron, who was in the vicinity but alone, was first at the scene. He found Marcus’s friend applying pressure to the wound as it poured blood.

There was no sign the injured man was breathing and the police officer began chest compressions. It was enough for Marcus to start breathing again.

He spent 11 days in hospital undergoing surgery to remove his spleen and 50cm of intestines. The tip of the knife was removed from his knee.

Marcus said: “Callum Pillman and Shaun Taylor are cowards but have shown by what they attempted to do to me that they have the capability to destroy a family and quite easily take a life one day.”

His parents added their voice in praise of the emergency services who saved their son.

Judge Peter Johnson jailed Pillman for 11 years and three months and Taylor for 10 years and six months.

He said but for the actions of medics and those at the scene the two defendants would have been facing a charge of murder.

He added that the victim’s life would never be the same and he had been left with severe physical and psychological scars.