A man and woman who lured a victim to a quiet back lane before stabbing him eight times with a machete and battering him with a metal bar have been jailed for a total of fourteen and a half years.
Tommy McTighe, 34, and Gemma Vanstone, 35, lured the man out of his Plymouth home late at night and subjected him to a brutal beating that left him bleeding in the street and initially feared to be dying.
The attack happened in Stoke just before 11pm on 25 March 2024 when the pair travelled in a black Mercedes to the area with a third unidentified accomplice. The man in his fifties was known to them and was deliberately targeted.
Vanstone was hidden in the boot of the car as they drove to Hotham Place. Once they arrived she was let out and the trio armed themselves with a foot long machete and a long metal bar taken from the vehicle before heading into a rear service lane between Molesworth Road and Hotham Place.
McTighe kept out of sight and told Vanstone to phone the victim pretending she wanted to buy drugs. When he walked into the lane expecting to complete a deal he was ambushed. He was struck several times with the weapons while Vanstone demanded drugs from him.
The blows from the metal bar were so hard it was left bent at one end. The victim was stabbed eight times around his body as he lay on the ground screaming for the attack to stop.
Despite suffering life threatening injuries he somehow managed to stagger out of the lane and back towards Molesworth Road where he collapsed in the street covered in blood.
A passing taxi driver spotted him on the ground and raised the alarm. Moments later the black Mercedes drove past and one of the occupants leaned out and shouted "is he dead yet?".
Firearms officers and local units rushed to the scene and launched a search for the attackers. The Mercedes was located a short time later at the rear of a property in Keyham Road.
McTighe emerged from the back of the address and was detained about two hours after the assault. Officers seized the car keys and later found a metal bar and a quantity of crack cocaine in the vehicle. Forensic work also discovered the victim’s blood inside McTighe’s home.
Vanstone was arrested three days later on 28 March 2024 when officers found her hiding under a bed at her address in Valletort Road. Both were charged following the police investigation.
McTighe of North Down Crescent Plymouth and Vanstone of Valletort Road Plymouth denied the attack but were convicted by a jury in September of Section 18 grievous bodily harm wounding with intent.
McTighe was also convicted of possessing an offensive weapon in a public place and admitted possessing a Class A drug namely crack cocaine.
The pair returned to Plymouth Crown Court for sentencing today. McTighe received a nine year prison sentence. Vanstone was jailed for five and a half years.
Devon and Cornwall Police said the case showed that knife and machete crime will be pursued even when victims are too afraid or unwilling to support a prosecution.
Detective Constable Rose who led the investigation said this was an extremely violent and senseless attack that could easily have cost a man his life. She added:
“The outcome today reflects the dedication and professionalism of all officers involved in the investigation in ensuring those responsible have been brought to justice.
“Violence of this nature has no place in our communities and we hope that this result provides some reassurance to the public.
“It is also important to note that, while the victim in this case was not supportive of a prosecution, the conviction demonstrates the zero-tolerance approach Devon & Cornwall Police takes to knife and violent crime.”
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