Man jailed for North Belfast stabbing that left victim with life changing injuries

A man who stabbed his former friend in the abdomen “five to ten times” with a butcher’s knife was handed a nine-and-a-half year sentence on Wednesday.

The injured party, who is now 33, lost a kidney as a result of the “unprovoked” stabbing, which occurred in North Belfast in April 2022.

Anthony James Harrison, 32 and from Hillside View in Newtownabbey, was sentenced for causing grievous bodily with intent and was told he will serve half the term in jail and half on licence.

Co-accused Jamie Andrew Parke, 31, from Rosemount Gardens in Belfast, threw an oil burner at the injured party’s head prior to the stabbing. He was handed a two-year sentence which was suspended for three years.

Prior to this, Crown barrister David McNeill told Belfast Crown Court the injured party was attacked at 4.30pm on April 18, 2022 as he walked along the Cliftonville Road. At that time, Parke lived at a flat on that road and both he and Harrison had been drinking in the property.

After seeing the injured party on the street, Harrison exited the flat. With a knife concealed up his sleeve, he then confronted the injured party. At this stage, there was no physical contact as the injured party placed his bicycle between him and Harrison in a bid to defend himself.

Parke also left his flat and on the way out, he lifted a ceramic oil burner from the communal hallway and threw the item at the injured party, which struck him on the forehead and broke his skin.

Mr McNeill said the injured party ran a short distance to behind a tree, followed by Harrison, who produced a knife and stabbed the other man in the abdomen “with full force between five and ten times with what witnesses at the scene described as a butcher’s knife”.

Both Harrison and Parke then ran away and the injured party was assisted by members of the public who helped to stem the bleeding and administered First Aid. An ambulance was called and during the journey to the Royal Victoria Hospital, he named Harrison as his attacker.

As result of the knife attack, the injured party lost a kidney and had to have part of his intestines removed. He remained on life support and a ventilator for a period before being discharged on May 31.

Mr McNeill said that whilst Harrison and the injured party knew each other, Parke “had never met him before” and was unaware Harrison had a knife. He added that it was accepted by the Crown that Parke didn’t intent to cause the injured party serious harm, nor did he “intent to assist or encourage Mr Harrison to stab the injured party”.

Branding the injuries he suffered as “very significant”, the prosecutor said “they are likely to have a life-long impact” and have resulted in PTSD.

Regarding the arrests of the two defendants, Mr McNeill said Parke was seen by witnesses entering his flat in the aftermath of the stabbing. He was arrested that evening and refused to answer questions during a police interview.

Harrison, who fled the scene and who has 74 previous convictions, was arrested the following day approaching police on the Cliftonville Road and saying ‘I’m the one you’re looking for’.

During his interview, Harrison gave a mixture of ‘no comment’ responses and also provided an alibi. Despite their stances with the PSNI, both Parke, who has 12 prior offences on his criminal record, and Harrison admitted their guilt.

Stephen Toal KC, representing Harrison, said his client was remorseful for what he did and has expressed a wish to meet the injured party and apologise to him.

Acknowledging the men had been friends but there was a “falling out”, Mr Toal said Harrison now accepts he was “in the wrong” and that his actions that day were “out of character”.

Describing Harrison’s childhood as “extremely difficult” which adversely affected his mental health, the defence barrister added that his client “now wants to turn his life around”.

Parke’s barrister Eilis MacDermott KC spoke of a “distinction” between her client and Harrison and said that when he threw the oil burner, he was acting in “defence of another” as he felt Harrison was “under attack”.

Ms MacDermott said the pair had been drinking in Parke’s flat, that the offence arose “spontaneously” and that he was “sickened” by the injuries sustained. She also spoke of Parke’s epilepsy which had affected both his employability and his mental health, as well as his parental responsibilities.

Jailing Harrison, Judge Crawford told him the attack was “unprovoked and sustained” and that he acted with an “indifference to the seriousness of the injuries” he inflicted.

She added: “Such were your actions that it is fortunate indeed that the injured party survived. At his young age, he has suffered life-changing injuries.”

Due to Harrison contacting the injured party in August 2022 and threatening him to drop the charge, the Judge also imposing an indefinite restraining order which banned him from contacting his former friend. Parke had a five-year restraining order imposed and was warned of the consequences of re-offending over the next three years.

The police welcomed the sentencing. Detective Inspector Michael McDonnell said: “Following a call from a member of the public, our officers discovered the victim bleeding and in pain after he had been stabbed a number of times in the abdomen and struck with a blunt item.

“This man sustained life-changing injuries in this savage assault, spending a significant period of time seriously unwell in hospital and will require assistance for the rest of his life. Enquiries at the scene led to the identification of both Harrison and Parke. We arrested them and both were charged. Today we see that justice has been done.

“They have been held to account for their actions and we’d like to thank the public who responded to our appeal for information at the time. We will work tirelessly to bring offenders before the courts so that that victims receive the justice they deserve.”

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