Two men who violently attacked a petrol station worker after he was accused of getting a sandwich order wrong have been jailed.
Daniel Davis and John Wilson, who were unknown to each other, stole booze and vapes after the man was left seriously injured after being repeatedly stabbed and hit with a metal bar.
The pair managed to get their way into the BP Garage on High Northgate, Darlington, in the early hours of Thursday, January 8.
Teesside Crown Court heard how the man grabbed a metal bar to protect himself before he was assaulted by the two ‘heavily intoxicated’ men.
Sam Ponniah, prosecuting, said the violence erupted when the worker refused to take money for the sandwich order and the pair entered through an unsecured door.
“He picked up a metal bar fearing an attack and unfortunately an attack then followed,” he said.
“He told the defendants to leave the shop, but they wrestled the bar away from him, then struck him with it and repeatedly punched him.
“As they did this, Wilson picked up and threw items around the shop.”
Mr Ponniah said the victim tried to contact the police while the two men started grappling.
He said: “The victim was able to get hold of the knife, but Davis gets him to the floor while Wilson attacks him a number of times with the metal pole.
“At some point during this melee, he was stabbed a total of five times.”
The court heard how the pair left the shop with booze and vapes while the man hid behind the counter.
Davis, 26, of The Stray, Darlington, and 39-year-old Wilson, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to robbery and wounding with intent.
Paul Abrahams, representing Davis, said his client had limited previous convictions on his record before committing this "rather brutal offence".
He said: “He attended the garage and it appears that there was an argument over his perception of whether the victim was getting him the correct sandwich – it escalated from that.
“It would appear, rather unusually in this case, that both defendants have no prior knowledge of each other at all and decided to engage in this terrible offence.”
Martin Sharpe, representing Wilson, said his client took the opportunity to join in with the attack so that he could steal some alcohol.
"He came upon the scene and joined in, he saw it as an opportunity for him to steal alcohol and he joined in the attack," he said. "He was not aware that Davis had a knife."
Judge Francis Laird KC, the Recorder of Middlesbrough, said Davis became angered when he thought the worker was getting the sandwich order wrong and entered the store where a melee erupted.
The man tried to force the defendants out of the premises after grappling with the men and Davis dropped his knife during the "persistent" attack.
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"Bravely, he advanced once again," he said. "He is seen on the CCTV with the knife, which was dropped by you, Davis.
"Despite having the knife, he was taken to the floor and was hit with the pole and stabbed several times."
Davis was sentenced to eight years and three months in custody with three years on extended licence when released.
Wilson was sentenced to nine years in custody with three years on extended licence.
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