Knife-brawl thug given 12 years

GUILTY . . . Stubbs

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AN Oldham thug found guilty of stabbing a teenager during a street brawl has been jailed for 12 years.

The Chronicle reported how Matthew Stubbs (24), also known as Matthew Gregory, of Horsedge Street, was found guilty at Manchester Crown Court on September 27 of wounding with intent.

The sentencing was adjourned until yesterday for a psychiatric report to be prepared for Stubbs, who has Asperger's Syndrome.

Judge Patrick Field QC sentenced him to 12 years in prison, of which he must serve at least two thirds in custody before he can be released on parole. Stubbs will also be put on an extended licence of five years. The sentencing was met with cheers and applause from the public gallery.

Stubbs was already serving a suspended sentence for malicious wounding from January, 2015, which was an aggravating factor in his sentencing.

He was found not guilty of violent disorder and murder last month but he was found guilty of wounding with intent. He denied all three charges in the trial.

At an earlier hearing, Joshua Brierley (20), of Argus Street, Oldham, was sentenced to four months for affray and Kieran Knapman (22), of Arbour Road, Oldham, was sentenced to eight months, suspended for one year, also for affray.

The charges relate to a fight which broke out after a house party outside Stott House on the Eldon Street estate in the early hours of Saturday, August 15, 2015, resulting in the stabbing of two young men.

Stubbs stabbed a man named Simon Dalton in the back, near his kidneys and close to his spine. He was hospitalised for 10 days.

Tommy Bilton (19), of Elm Road, Limeside, died at the Royal Oldham Hospital later that day from internal bleeding after being stabbed in the groin.

Stubbs was found not guilty of Mr Bilton's murder.

In his defence, Stubbs had claimed that it was Mr Dalton who had brought the knife to a pre-arranged fight, which he used to attack him first.

He had insisted that he followed Mr Dalton, put him in a headlock and pressed the knife against him. He said he did this to "arrest him" before the police came.

Stubbs walked backwards and said he stumbled causing Mr Dalton to fall on top of the knife.

But this defence was thrown out by both the jury and the judge.

During the fight, Stubbs was also hit over the head with a bottle, which Judge Field said was not provocation enough for him to then stab Mr Dalton with a knife.

The next day, Stubbs went to Newcastle to visit his family, where he was subsequently involved in a police chase a few days later and then arrested.

Upon sentencing him, Judge Field said he had to take into account Stubbs' previous convictions, which have involved the use of weapons.

In April, 2010, he was convicted of malicious wounding after hitting a social worker with a shovel.

In October, 2013, he was charged with the same offence after stabbing a man on Shaw market, for which he was given a suspended sentence that was active at the time of his most recent offence.

Judge Field said: "It was a disgraceful incident when you and other young men, fuelled by alcohol, and in your case probably drugs as well, fought outside Stott House on an estate in Oldham.

"Events took a sinister turn when you armed yourself with a kitchen knife. I conclude from the evidence that you went into the flat to get the knife and brought it out.

"You used that knife to stab Simon Dalton in the back ­- you plunged the knife close to his spine.

"The jury concluded that when you stabbed him you intended to cause him really serious harm ­- it was no accident.

"In my view there was a significant degree of premeditation. You acted deliberately rather than impulsively.

"You left the fight and armed yourself deliberately with a knife.

"You're a dangerous young man. What I mean by that is that I find that there is a significant risk of you causing serious harm to the public."

Detective Inspector Andy Naismith of GMP's Major Incident Team, said: "Violence will not be tolerated in Greater Manchester and we will do everything in our power to bring those people who defy the law to justice.

"I'd like to thank the witnesses and officers involved in the investigation for their support, which has successfully helped us convict these men."