Man who suffered worst knife wounds judge has ever seen still fears for his life
A MAN left with horrific facial scars says he still fears for his life despite his attacker facing a long jail term.
Jack Berry, aged 20, suffered appalling facial wounds after Daniel Reader slashed his face and scalp with a craft knife on April 1 last year.
The trial judge described the injuries inflicted as the "worst case of knife wounds I've ever seen".
At the end of an eight-day trial, a jury at Plymouth Crown Court yesterday unanimously found Reader and Paul Courtney guilty of conspiring to cause grievous bodily harm.
Courtney's partner, Dawn Evans, was acquitted on a majority verdict of the same charge.
Reader, 18, and of Newcastle Gardens, Whitleigh, was also found guilty of wounding Mr Berry with intent to do him grievous bodily harm, and with possession of a knife.
Mr Berry, who did not attend court said he was "happy" Reader would be punished, but added that he would like to see man he used to call his "brother" and ask him "why he did it to me".
As the foreman read the verdicts, heroin addict Courtney, aged 39, of Brentford Avenue, Whitleigh, was trembling and grey-faced, while blonde Dawn Evans, aged 41 and of Tailyour Road, Crownhill, almost collapsed and left the dock in tears.
Judge Francis Gilbert QC told the jury he was sure they were as horrified as he was when shown photographs of the deep slashes to Jack Berry's face.
"I have been at the bar and on the bench for 41 years, and it's the worst case of knife wounds I've ever seen," he said.
"This is one of the worst cases that has ever been in this court.
"These defendants will both receive long custodial sentences."
Outside court investigating officer Det Con Kevan Lawson, said: "But for the grace of God, this could have been a murder inquiry. These are the worst facial injuries inflicted by one person on another that I have seen in 11 years as a police officer.
"Keeping Jack Berry's family on board was hard due to fear and intimidation."
During the trial the court heard Mr Berry's family had been threatened and even petrol-bombed after the young man was wounded.
One person who also faces the conspiracy charge, named in court as Liverpudlian Mark Masher, was arrested 10 days after the assault on Mr Berry. He skipped bail and is still being sought by police, the court heard.
During the trial the court heard Reader had lived with Mr Berry's family, with his parents treating him as one of their own.
Mr Berry said: "He was like a brother to me. At the time I wouldn't call him anything less than my brother.
"I really think he wants to see my Mum and Dad still. He sent us Christmas cards and wrote a birthday card to my Mum, writing 'with love'.
"I think he needs help. He's not all there. You can't do that [the knife attack] to someone else.
"I'd like to speak to him, ask him why he did it, but whether he will tell me or not I don't know."
Mr Berry said he "fears for his family" and says he has already received new threats following the verdict.
He said: "People have already called us up tonight, saying they would beat my little sister up, calling us rats, saying 'what goes around comes around'.
"We've already had people lob petrol bombs at our house. We've had to get new smoke alarms fitted, fire extinguishers upstairs and downstairs in case someone puts something through the window. There's seven children in the house.
"I fear what others will do. They know where I live. If they can get to me before the police get to them, they will."
Det Con Lawson added: "There are no winners in this case; Jack Berry has been scarred for life and the people in the dock have families as well."
Judge Gilbert adjourned sentencing to March 23 for a psychiatric report on Reader, specifically addressing the issue of dangerousness.
Also being sentenced on the same day will be co-defendants Kurtis Kirk, aged 23 and of Brentford Avenue, Whitleigh, and Astra Widdicombe, aged 22 and of Kitley Way, King's Tamerton.
Both pleaded guilty before the start of the trial to attempting to pervert the course of justice in connection with the case.
Widdicombe was asked by her boyfriend Reader, who was in custody, to dispose of the knife. She took it to Mr Berry, not realising he was the victim of the attack, and asked him to get rid of it. But he made up a story to explain his injuries and immediately passed the weapon to the police.
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by SollyAtwell
Thursday, March 08 2012, 12:10PM
“It's ironic that whilst families like these are terrorising citizens in this country. Britsh army personnel are dying in Afghanistan. Perhaps the troops would be best used to clean up this country.”
by wendyperkins
Thursday, February 16 2012, 5:14AM
“i am one of Jack,s victims like thousands of others, they say what goes around comes around, this scumbag had it coming to him for a very long time, its such a shame it took so long for someone to get hold of him, however, pity they did not do a better job, he wont learn though he will still carry on terrorising the community, a leopard never changes his spots,”
by liverbird1964
Thursday, February 16 2012, 2:00AM
“you dont need to tell us you are his grandad, we already worked that out, only people like yourself and his family will stick up for vermin like him, its such a pity he only has a scar on his face that will fade, the scars left on people he has terrorised will last a lot longer, i would shake the hand of the lad who did it - i only wish he had done a better job, i suppose you think its acceptable for him to rob and terrorise everyone, total shame on you, we dont need your pity, you or your family dont know what the word pity means, i dont suppose for a minute Jack had any pity on any or all of his victims, you should be thinking of all the innocent people he has attacked and victimised, also what about the tax payers money spent and wasted on vermin like him and his family, dont suppose any of the family work !! ( not sure they know what the word work means ) they only know how to claim benefits from hard working tax payers like me, and to live of the proceeds of crime he has commited. the family are despised in southway, its vermin like them that gives the area a bad name, do everyone a favour including yourself and clear out of plymouth.”
by castleton1956
Wednesday, February 15 2012, 8:16PM
“So where in Southway do we actually get to meet this piece of "VERMIN"?
I would just love the chance to give him a good kicking.”
by realist2010
Wednesday, February 15 2012, 7:55PM
“Nice how a grandad calls himself demportboy, a touch of class dont you think! by losing count of how many times he has been stopped and searched really says it all. Must be a nice lad?? na!”
by swoop3
Wednesday, February 15 2012, 2:46PM
“....are grandads getting younger or is it me?”
by xx31x
Wednesday, February 15 2012, 10:50AM
“Figures.. Only Jacks relatives would side by him, they're the only people that remain unharmed or untouched by his s**t. Pleased to meet you Jacks Granddad, I'm one of Jack's victims, just like the rest of these people, no doubt. Not only having to suffer from Jacks vicious bullying myself, but being the same age range, I get the great deal of having to hear about his infamous stunts on innocent people and their property from all my friends on the regular, In fact, most of my friends and family have had a run in with Jack at one time or another, and despise him as much as I do. So bloody what if the useless PCSO's didn't find anything, we all know it doesn't take much for him to hide it somewhere or hand it to one of his naive 'friends'. I've seen him with the bloody knife, countless times and so have others, wise up. You can preach all you like about his innocence, but it seems we know your disgusting grandchild more than you do”
by demportboy
Wednesday, February 15 2012, 12:52AM
“You people never fail to amuse and entertain me: seven kids from seven different fathers ? Either you've been smoking a seriously strong illegal substance, or you're suffering from a serious bad overdose of the Jeremy Kyle show (What's got an IQ of 144 ? a gross of Jeremy Kyle's audience.)
For those who say he deserves to be blinded, well as far as I'm concerned, to say something like that puts you in the category of SCUM, a word freely bandied about on this topic, but one that does seem appropriate for you. As for him walking around with a knife, I've lost count of the times he's been stopped and searched by the Old Bill and your friendly PCSOs, who found zip ,nada, zilch, nothing. A real urban terrorist and gangster, eh? Goes around unarmed.
But stay out there with your hate and bigotry and ignorance, all I feel for you is pity. Did I forget to tell you ? I'm his Granddad.”
by Vigi_Lianti
Tuesday, February 14 2012, 8:31PM
“Demportboy, Yeah I've left my keyboard mate and I've made mutiple complaints.....even had several run-ins with the boy himself and he ran away everytime....there scum... face it”
by liverbird1964
Tuesday, February 14 2012, 4:30AM
“this scumbag and his family deserves everything they get, its a pity this scumbag was not blinded, at least then he would not be able to rob the elderly or terrorise the entire southway community, if you have not been robbed by him then you are the lucky one, his mother has 7 kids by 7 different fathers, this cretin and his family should be put on Drakes island without the use of a boat, or thrown out of plymouth so the southway community can party that such evil has left the town, if you dont know him, dont feel sorry for him, you have not been the ones terrorised by such a wicked family, if you have met this scumbag then i can only apologise for such bad luck in meeting him, PCH how many chances can u give this family for all the heartache they have caused to everyone, surely his phenominal criminal record alone should make people see what scum of the earth he is.”