Stabbing On Ashmore Park

Robber jailed for knife attack

Councillor Phil Bateman said " I have placed this article that appeared in the Express and Star on my web site because this incident when it happened had such a negative affect on the estate.

It was a vile attack that scared a lot of the elderly residents and led to a lot of concerns about the safety of the estate. I am pleased that the incident has been successfully traced and a custodial sentence has been made. But what pleases me more is the fact that the community in the shape of this thugs very brave girl friend gave the police the information they required to make an arrest.I think that was a very brave act and I for one am indebted to the bravery shown."

This article posted on January 12, 2008 at 11:41 am, filed under Edition - City Final, News. Bookmark the permalink

"A thug whose girlfriend shopped him to police after discovering he had stabbed a taxi driver in the chest has been jailed.

Surgeons had to fight to save the father-of-three stabbed by 27-year-old Leon Handley, of Bolton Road, Wednesfield.

Handley’s girlfriend, who said she had been left “disgusted” by the attack, implicated him to police because she has relatives who are taxi drivers, Wolverhampton Crown Court was told yesterday.

Father-of-four Handley was given an indeterminate prison sentence for attacking and robbing driver Kumar Nagi in Ashmore Park.

The court heard how Mr Nagi picked up drug addict Handley and another man in Wolverhampton city centre before taking them to a cul-de-sac in Ashmore Park, where he was stabbed in the chest and leg and forced to hand over £40 and his mobile phone.



Neighbours were alerted by the driver’s screams and the driver was taken to hospital by ambulance.

Mr Bernard Linnemann, prosecuting, said surgeons had to give Mr Nagi four-and-a-half litres of blood.

Just hours after the attack on February 11 last year, Handley robbed another taxi driver, Paramjit Singh Grewal, at knifepoint. He then told his girlfriend Rhiann Kavanagh about the attacks. Following an argument, Miss Kavanagh contacted the police.

Mr Linnemann said: “We regard what she did as eminently public spirited and extremely brave.”

Defending, Mr Jas Mann said Handley carried out the robberies to pay back his drug dealer.

Handley, who pleaded guilty to two charges of robbery, will stay in prison until the authorities consider him safe to be released. He will remain on licence for this rest of his life and will serve at least five years behind bars.

This article posted on January 12, 2008 at 11:41 am, filed under Edition - City Final, News. Bookmark the permalink.