Man attacked former friend in Church Stretton with 'multi-tool'

Tony Butcher was struck on the left side of his head as he lay on the floor during the assault by 26-year-old Victor Tunnicliffe who had then thrown the weapon away.

The two men, who had been friends but were involved in an altercation in a shop in the town and again at the station.

At Shrewsbury Crown Court Tunnicliffe was jailed for six months having admitted a charge of unlawful wounding.

The court heard that Tunnicliffe, of Watling Street North, Church Stretton, had previously failed to comply with a community order. and had expressed a wish for a spell in prison to "sort himself out".

Recorder Nicholas Cartwright said that Tunnicliffe could, and should, have avoided the fight.

“You ended up in a position where you thought you were losing the fight, reached into your pocket, took out the multi-tool and struck out causing a wound to the jaw of Mr Butcher and another to his head,” he said.

He accepted Tunnicliffe’s actions were “simply an instinctive reaction”, but the incident had been aggravated by a previous conviction for possessing a bladed article.

Mr Robert Edwards, prosecuting, said Tunnicliffe and Mr Butcher, who had previously been friends, were initially involved in an altercation at the Happy Shopper in Church Stretton.

Mr Butcher left the shop and went to the railway station and when the defendant arrived shortly afterwards Tunnicliffe had approached Mr Butcher and the pair started fighting.

“A struggle ensued with Mr Butcher on the floor and while on the floor he feels blows to the left side of his head," said Mr Edwards.

Police were called and after arresting Tunnicliffe he told them he had hit Mr Butcher with a “multi-tool” and showed them where he had thrown it into a hedge.

Mr Brendan Reedy, for Tunnicliffe, said his client had told him that he believed that he needed a period of time in prison to get himself sorted and detoxed.