By Sel Hurst
A man stabbed his friend using a Samurai sword after a joke was made about the size of his nose.
Honestly, what might he have done if someone commented on his ears instead?
Liam Johnston will bear the scars for life after Matthew Peters rushed home, retrieved a knife, and attacked him.
Peters, 20, received a sentence of more than five years for ‘flipping’ over the innocent remark.
This ‘prick with a weapon’ needs to be taught a lesson, but unfortunately, considering the state of prisons today, he will likely exit still being a ‘prick with a weapon’.
I hope that’s not the case.
But why does someone who looks like he’s been in-bred (and that has nothing to do with sandwiches, although he clearly thinks like one) even possess a samurai sword?
Twenty-year-old Liam remarked, ‘I was scared when I saw the sword, but I wasn’t terrified. He’s a mate, so I didn’t expect him to actually do anything to me.’
‘When he stabbed me, I couldn’t believe it. Since that moment, I haven’t spoken to him. There’s no friendship anymore.’
Before this abrupt act of violence, Liam and Peters had shared years of friendship. The incident unfolded on August 12 on Newcastle Street, North Shields, Tyne and Wear.
So enraged after the comment on his nose, Matthew Peters sprinted home, ascended three flights of stairs, and broke into the loft where his father stored ornamental swords.
He then dashed back to Liam and drove the blade into his thigh as Liam attempted to escape, as reported by Newcastle Crown Court.
‘We were just strolling down the street when a minor argument broke out,’ Liam explained.
‘It was quite foolish, but he just lost it. He rushed back home, grabbed the sword, and then returned to stab me right there on the street.’
‘I collapsed, and he fled back home. My friends helped me up, and I was taken straight to the hospital.’
The sword severed a nerve, and after undergoing surgery, Liam, a father, now carries a scar measuring 35cm.
‘He struck one of my nerves,’ he added. ‘I was hospitalized for a week and needed an operation.’
‘I still struggle with walking properly; I rely on riding my bike. The doctors are uncertain if I’ll ever walk normally again. I’ll just have to wait and see.’
Peters, from Ravensworth Street, Wallsend, Tyne and Wear, pleaded guilty to wounding with intent to cause GBH at Newcastle Crown Court and received a sentence of five years and four months.
Detective Constable Rouven Snowdon expressed hope that the sentence would convey a message regarding the repercussions of wielding knives or blades.
‘This case illustrates how tragic the outcomes can be when a young man takes up a weapon and assaults a former close friend with it,’ he stated.
‘Liam and Peters shared a friendship since childhood, but an argument in the street led to this incident.’
‘Peters is lucky that the wound wasn’t more severe, but his victim continues to endure the effects of the injury.’
‘The sword struck Liam’s femoral nerve, resulting in some nerve damage to the bottom of his foot. He required surgery as well.’
‘Originally, the scar was only the size of the sword’s tip, but post-surgery, he now bears a 35cm scar and is still struggling to walk properly.’
‘The court’s sentence should serve as a clear warning to others that resorting to violence and reaching for a weapon will lead to incarceration.’
But really, should he be jailed…won’t the circus miss those ears?