'Jealous' man hacked brother with machete after hearing rumour about his ex

A man accused his brother of having an affair with his ex-girlfriend while he was in prison before hacking at him with a machete as he slept in bed. Jordan Harkins suspected his younger sibling had been seeing his former partner when he was serving time for petrol bombing the home of her previous boyfriend.

His latest victim was left with blood spurting from his leg as a result of the brutal assault. The thug later asked "how's my brother doing?" once the police had caught up with him.

Liverpool Crown Court heard this afternoon, Friday, that Harkins had previously had a "short term" relationship with a then 17-year-old Lois Elliott during 2020. She fell pregnant to the defendant while they were together, although they split up while she was expecting.

READ MORE: Man's tearful message to victim's family as he's jailed for killing 10-year-old boy

READ MORE: She downed a litre of vodka and was jailed for what she did next

Christopher Hopkins, prosecuting, described how he then set fire to a house in Kensington where Ms Elliott's previous partner lived in June of that year, "throwing a homemade petrol bomb" through the window in an "incident of revenge". This led to Harkins being locked up for six years in March 2021 for arson being reckless as to whether life was endangered before he was released on licence in July 2023.

The now 27-year-old subsequently "turned up unannounced" at Ms Elliot's home on June 23 this year after "contacting her over a period of a few weeks beforehand". On the afternoon on June 24, she then received a phone call from his sister "accusing her of sleeping with the defendant's brother Josef while the defendant was in jail".

Both parties denied that this was the case, but the brothers' mum Tracey McGrath thereafter heard Harkins on the phone to his ex at their home on Morningside Road in Norris Green. She stated that she heard Ms Elliott, 21, on loudspeaker "saying she had slept with Josef and claimed to have a photograph of it", although Mr Hopkins said of this: "The crown say that, if this was said, it was not true."

Ms McGrath then found Jordan Harkins in his 23-year-old brother's bedroom, punching him in the face as he lay in bed. Josef Harkins was left covered in blood as a result, and the mother attempted to separate her sons before phoning her daughter for help.

When she returned to the room, she found Jordan repeatedly striking Josef to the leg with a machete. He was already said to have suffered a gaping to his left arm before he sustained a "spurting gash" to his left leg.

Harkins then fled the property, leaving the bloodstained weapon behind. Josef Harkins later told detectives when they visited him in Aintree Hospital's major trauma unit on June 25 that he had been asleep when his brother entered his room screaming "what's this photo of you and Lois?" and "accusing him of sleeping with her while he was in jail".

He recalled that his assailant had then armed himself with the machete and started striking him with it. The complainant was subsequently driven to hospital by another brother after his older sibling had left.

The defendant was later arrested at another address, where he attempted to escape by climbing over a fence before being detained. Harkins then asked officers: "How's my younger brother doing?"

He was said to have kept "series of blood curdling instruments strewn around the house", with three machetes being recovered during a search of the property. His criminal record shows a total of nine previous convictions for 12 offences, including for assault occasioning actual bodily harm in 2009 and charges of possession of a bladed article in a public place and criminal damage.

Paul Wood, defending, told the court: "The defendant is really, genuinely sorry for what he has done. He knows he is someone who needs to change his ways. He is distraught over the injury he caused to his brother, who never deserved this. He is extremely sorry for what he has done.

"The defendant had a difficult childhood. He obtained no qualifications from school. He was using drugs - cannabis, cocaine and MDMA. He has been drug free since he has been in custody. He has shown a determination to address these drug issues."

Harkins admitted wounding with intent. He was jailed for six years, a term of which he must serve at least two thirds behind bars before becoming eligible for release, and handed an additional three years on licence.

Sentencing, Recorder Peter Cowan said: "You attacked your younger brother in an appalling and frankly horrific way with an extremely dangerous weapon. How, one would ask, could a man like you end up committing such a serious offence?

"You have psychological issues related to your traumatic childhood. I have read your letter, setting out the shame and remorse you feel. I accept that that is genuine. When you are calm, you regret what you have done.

"I have no hesitation in concluding that you are a dangerous offender. There is a dreadful combination of circumstances in your character, three things which combine together to create that danger.

"First of all, it is clear to me that you are obsessively jealous. Secondly, you clearly have a complete inability to control your behaviour. Thirdly, you have shown a willingness to use weapons to inflict very serious violence."