Chesterfield man whose sister was murdered jailed for "awful" knife attack

Footage played at Derby Crown Court, showed another man pleading “please don’t Andrew, I thought we were friends” as Andrew Stevens’ inflicted wounds to his victim’s hands.

Drunk Stevens, 41, could be heard slurring as he made threats to the defenceless complainant, inflicting “terror and panic”.

The court heard Stevens, who had 24 convictions for 24 offences, “spiralled out of control” after losing his job as a train operator following a knife attack which left him with a brain injury.

Out of work Stevens’ sister was later murdered, followed by two friends’ suicides in 2019 and 2020, the court heard.

A prosecutor described how on October 24 last year, after Stevens’ had knifed the complainant at an address in Grampian Crescent, Chesterfield, he climbed into a taxi.

When Stevens asked the driver to return to the same house for his mobile phone, the driver saw the defendant’s victim standing in the doorway “covered in blood”.

The prosecutor said: “Mr Stevens got back into the taxi and produced a kitchen knife. He held the blade pointing downwards.

"He admitted ‘I’ve just stabbed him, what would you do?’”

After stopping at a cash point the driver fled in his car and called police, in Stevens’ bag was a knuckle duster which he had used on his victim’s face, cable ties and plastic bags.

Among Stevens’ previous offences were GBH, ABH and witness intimidation, the court heard.

Judge Shaun Smith told him: “You have a bad record. Events in your life led you to escape your miserable existence at that time through drink.

"You have engaged in therapy and activities in prison and have been taking your medication.

"This was a particularly awful offence – it was recorded on a phone. I’ve been able to see the measure of panic and terror you imposed upon your victim.”

The judge noted that Stevens was himself attacked an ended up in a coma while working as a train operator.

He said: “You were unable to get work because of ongoing conditions you had – you were stabbed in your skull and suffered a personal tragedy.

"Your sister was murdered – your mental health deteriorated and your drinking spiralled out of control.

Stevens, of Chapman Lane, Chesterfield, admitted wounding, possessing an offensive weapon in a public place and possessing a knife.

He was jailed for 27 months and handed a 10-year restraining order.