Pair trapped man in flat they set fire to following stab attack, court is told
TWO knifemen stabbed and slashed a man’s throat before barricading him in his bedroom and setting fire to his flat in a failed murder attempt, a court heard.
Prosecutors say Frank Cartner was left with a “large, gaping wound” in his neck after letting two men he called friends into his home in Kenton, Newcastle, on September 18, 2017.
The 38-year-old victim, who was unable to escape through the small window in his room, desperately shouted for help as thick smoke filled his flat in the early hours.
He was said to be “extremely fortunate to survive” after being rescued by firefighters.
Now Anthony Slater and Anthony James have gone on trial at Newcastle Crown Court accused of carrying out the attack. Both have denied charges of attempted murder, arson with intent to endanger life and perverting the course of justice.
Prosecutor
Anthony Dunne told jurors the defendants had been friends with Mr Cartner. But the prosecution claims: “On that night they turned violently against him and essentially left him for dead. You may be wondering why. Well there’s no doubt that Frank Cartner was no angel.”
The court heard that on the evening before the attack, Mr Cartner had stolen a fuse box from a home near Slater, putting a piece of medical equipment for a seriously ill oneyear-old child at risk.
Mr Dunne said Slater also appeared to have blamed Mr Cartner for the loss of a mobile phone belonging to his late father.
The court heard that shortly before the incident Mr Cartner had moved into a flat in Columbia Grange which didn’t have a connected electricity supply.
The defendants had helped him to set up his new home in the days leading up to the attack. Mr Dunne said Slater had given Mr Cartner two mobile phones but neither was working, although Slater said he would get them fixed. Several days later Mr Cartner was at Slater’s flat and he asked where one of the phones was, had a look round and found what he thought was the same phone. “He took it and said James and Slater were there and didn’t object.” On September 17, it was said, Mr Cartner had gone to visit Slater’s flat and on his way back saw a communal door to a block of flats was open and took the opportunity to steal a fuse box.
But the box belonged to a woman who relied on it to power a feeding machine for her seriously ill son.
A police officer investigating the theft at the scene approached James, who was going to Slater’s flat at the time, as he matched the description of the man reported to have stolen the fuse box.
The officer went with James to Slater’s flat nearby and told them what had happened. Slater told the police officer Mr Cartner had moved into a new flat that week and was trying to obtain a fuse box.
When confronted by the police at his own flat, Mr Cartner told them the fuse box was at his mother’s home nearby and it was retrieved.
Mr Dunne said the two defendants came to Mr Cartner’s flat at around 2am on September 18, which “was not unusual as they would often stay up drinking”.
He let them in but said Slater was acting strangely, as if he had never been to the flat before, and was asking what was in each room.
They went into Mr Cartner’s bedroom, which was lit by a single candle, where Mr Dunne said Slater “without warning, started to stab the knife into Mr Cartner’s neck”.
He told the court: “Mr Cartner was pleading with him, saying, ‘Stop, you are going to kill me.’
“Anthony Slater accused him of stealing his dad’s mobile phone.
“He said, ‘I swear down, I wouldn’t pinch a phone from your house.’”
“As Anthony Slater was stabbing Frank Cartner, Anthony James was ransacking the bedroom looking for the phone.
“At one point they stood in front of the bedroom door preventing Frank Cartner from escaping.
“He tried to stay on his feet because he feared if he went to the floor he would be killed.”
The prosecutor said Slater then said to James: “Stab him”.
Mr Dunne said: “[Mr Cartner] had a pillow in front of him to try to block the stabs. “Despite that, James did manage to make contact with his chest.
“Of the two men, Mr Cartner said James seemed to hold back, as if he didn’t want to do it, whereas Slater seemed intent on killing him.
“Slater shouted, ‘Do it properly, get him done, get him done.’” Mr Dunne told jurors the two men then left the bedroom, but not the flat. “He heard them moving furniture – they were pulling things in front of the door to block him in,” he said
After about 10 minutes, Mr Cartner tried to get out of the bedroom but found it was blocked, the court heard.
Mr Dunne said: “He couldn’t breathe properly. He went to the window and shouted for help.”
Mr Cartner’s neighbours called the fire brigade and he was eventually pulled to safety. Neighbours also alerted Mr Cartner’s mother at her home nearby.
Mr Dunne said: “She told him to lie on the floor and asked what had happened. He said, ‘That f ****** Bobo [his nickname for Slater] has stabbed me in the neck and set my flat on fire.’”
Mr Dunne added: “Doctors were able to treat his injury, although he has been left with a life-long scar.”
James, 38, of Colgrove Place, Kenton, and Slater, 43, of Ambridge Way, Kenton, deny attempted murder, arson with intent to endanger life, and attempting to pervert the course of justice. The trial continues.