Feud leaves man feeling like 'Frankenstein' after being slashed

Duncan Evans armed himself with two knives when he confronted the victims when the simmering dispute exploded into violence.

The victim was left feeling like 'Frankenstein's monster' with a permanent scar left on his face as a result of the attack.

The 46-year-old confronted the man and threatened to 'cut him up' when they clashed outside the victim's elderly grandmother's house in July last year.

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Deborah Smithies, prosecuting, said the victim armed himself with a baseball bat and stood behind the door of the property while Evans shouted and threatened him.

She told the court how Evans slashed the man's car tyres and he went outside with his partner to confront him before hitting him with the baseball bat to protect himself from the defendant.

Evans slashed the victim's girlfriend on the forearm with one of the knifes, although she did not initially realise he had cut her.

Duncan Evans

The defendant then turned his attentions to the man and slashed him across the face and the court heard how the wound was so deep that it left a groove in his cheekbone.

In a victim impact statement, the man said the scar is a constant reminder of what has happened on July 20 last year.

He said that his child cried when asking about his huge cut and he couldn't bring himself to tell them how it had happened.

"He hasn't looked at me the same since," he said. "I feel like Frankenstein. I don't like going out in public, I feel like everyone is staring at me."

Evans, of Kirkleatham Lane, Redcar, pleaded guilty to wounding with intent and unlawful wounding. He also admitted two counts of possession of offensive weapons.

Tom Jackson, in mitigation, said the root of the offence was a 'family feud' which started when a relative of Evans was jailed for hitting a relative of the victim's in a car.

Judge Recorder Ian Mullarkey sentenced Evans to 10 years in prison with an extended licence period of three years.

"They're plainly very serious, nasty wounds," he said. "The victim said he has a constant reminder of what happened across his face and the assault also affected his confidence and he know longer likes going out in public as he is so self conscious about the injury he suffered."