Jail for Kendal man who launched attack on identical twins (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Jail for Kendal man who launched attack on identical twins

9:55am Monday 22nd October 2012 in News

A MAN who used a rock and a knife in a drunken attack on two identical twin brothers in a Kendal park has been sent to prison for five years.

A judge at Carlisle Crown Court told Michael Harrison, 24, he was lucky not to have killed Daniel Davis or his brother Jonathan in the incident in Abbott Hall Park on the evening of April 20. Prosecuting counsel Paul Hague told the court there had long been “a history of ill feeling” between the 28-year-old brothers and Harrison, whom they knew as “Sharps”.

But there was no trouble when, after spending the afternoon drinking in the park, they walked past him on their way to the Bargain Booze shop to buy more beer. And even when they returned and found themselves near him in the park again the situation was “amicable” until Daniel Davis got into an argument with one of Harrison’s friends, Mr Hague said.

But then Harrison picked up a rock and hit Daniel Davis with it, knocking him unconscious, he said. He then took a swing at Jonathan Davis, missing him, but in the fight that followed Mr Davis fell to the ground and was also temporarily knocked out, the court heard.

When Jonathan Davis came to Harrison was on top of him. He felt a pain and thought Harrison was biting him, so told him to stop, Mr Hague said. But Harrison simply replied “I am not biting you, I’m stabbing you”, he said. Harrison then got off Jonathan Davis and went back to his brother, whom he hit with the rock once more before running off, he said.

The twins were left “well bloodied” and were taken to hospital, Mr Hague said. Jonathan Davis had stab wounds to his shoulder and arm and cuts to his head that had to be stapled. His brother had bite marks on his arm and cuts to his face that might leave him permanently scarred. Harrison, of Singleton Park, Kendal, pleaded guilty to inflicting grievous bodily harm on Jonathan Davis with intent to do so, unlawfully wounding Daniel Davis, and possessing a knife in a public place.

He was said to have 50 previous convictions for offences including violence, robbery and drug dealing. In mitigation defence barrister Des Lennon said Harrison had been drunk at the time of the incident, just as he had been when committing many of his previous offences.

“In recent times there has always been a significant problem with alcohol,” he said. “Excess alcohol can lead to behaviour which most people would consider to be completely unacceptable.”

Mr Lennon said the trouble started because Harrison thought Daniel Davis was mocking one of his friends, who had a speech impediment. He said he had not had the knife with him, but someone else passed it to him during the fight.

Passing sentence, Judge Peter Hughes QC told Harrison: “This was a situation fraught with danger and unexpected consequences. You could so easily have been facing a murder charge.”