Man found guilty of stabbing in Leamington town centre after money dispute

And after hearing of the vicious nature of his attack, a jury at Warwick Crown Court rejected David Taylor’s claim that he had been acting in self-defence.

Taylor (47) who is from Leamington but said to be of no fixed address, had denied wounding Oliver Jackson in October last year with intent to cause him grievous bodily harm.

But although he was found guilty of that charge, the jury cleared him of possessing a bladed article after accepting it was Mr Jackson who had originally been carrying the knife.

Prosecutor Oliver Welling had told the jury: “This is a case of a stabbing.

“Oliver Jackson and the defendant are individuals we understand have been without any fixed abode and living sometimes in the streets in and around Leamington Spa.

“Oliver Jackson loaned the defendant some money on the day before this, and he wanted repayment and put out word that he was looking for David Taylor.”

Mr Welling said analysis of Taylor’s phone showed he was aware Mr Jackson was looking for him and wanted repayment.

At around 11pm on October 25, Mr Jackson saw Taylor on a bike in the centre of Leamington, in Tavistock Street, so followed him and grabbed hold of him.

“At that point the defendant produced a kitchen knife, stabbing him in a number of places on his body, including his chest, his thigh and his arm,” alleged Mr Welling.

“Those injuries were comparatively superficial, although some went down as far as the muscle layer. There were four main wounds, and Taylor himself picked up an injury.”

There were a number of witnesses, including passers-by and some from the nearby Smack night club.

“The overwhelming consensus is that, even if it was originally Mr Jackson approaching Mr Taylor, thereafter what happened was an attack by Mr Taylor on Mr Jackson.”

Mr Welling alleged that, knowing Mr Jackson was looking for him, Taylor had armed himself and gone out with the knife.

And after the incident he sent a text in which he wrote: “Yo, I swear just stab up that Ollie Jack.”

But Taylor maintained it was Mr Jackson who had the knife and had attacked him with it.

He said Mr Jackson had stabbed him in the leg, and that he had then pulled the knife out of his leg and used it to attack Mr Jackson, which he claimed was in self-defence.

By their verdicts, the jury apparently accepted Taylor’s assertion that it was Mr Jackson who originally had the knife – but that after pulling it from his leg Taylor had not been acting in self-defence, but had intended to cause serious injuries.

Following the verdicts, Judge Sylvia de Bertodano rejected a request by Simon Hunka, defending, for Taylor to be sentenced straight away.

Instead she adjourned the case for a pre-sentence report to be prepared on Taylor, who was remanded in custody.