Four men convicted following stabbing in Chester

Four men have been convicted for their roles in the stabbing of a 38-year-old man in Chester in August 2021.

27-year-old Lewis Frawley was found guilty of Section 18 assault and possession of a blade in public following a five week trial at Chester Crown Court which concluded on Thursday 15 June 2023. He was acquitted of attempt murder.

Three of his co-accused, Marley Thomas, 23; Harvey Orme, 19; and Connor Bishop, 21, were all found guilty of assisting an offender for the roles they played in the attack. A fifth man, Zak Murphy, 24 was acquitted of assisting an offender.

All four have been remanded in custody and are set to be sentenced at Chester Crown Court on Wednesday 19 July 2023.

During the trial the court heard how Frawley and the victim, who were both known to each other, had fallen out in the hours prior to the attack on the evening of Wednesday 11 August 2021.

Following their disagreement Frawley left the area, later returning with Orme, Bishop and others. Frawley had armed himself with a knife and upon the victim returning to the area, the pair clashed. Frawley stabbed the victim multiple times, causing wounds to his abdomen, chest and back and the court heard how the outcome would have been catastrophic without immediate life-saving medical intervention.

Thomas and Orme were present at the time of the attack, assisting and encouraging Frawley to stab the victim before they all running from the scene.

Nearby members of the public heard the victim screaming and went to help the man, calling the emergency services and waiting with him until police and paramedics arrived at the scene.

After the attack Frawley met with Bishop and the pair went to Bishops nearby flat on Canal Side to clean-up, they then went to a nearby shop to buy plasters for a wound that Frawley had sustained on his hand during the attack.

The pair then moved to a second address on Chichester Street, where they met with Orme and others. While at the address Frawley and Orme changed their clothing, throwing their old clothes out of a window.

Bishop left the address shortly after 10pm and returned home to clean up Frawley’s blood, while Frawley, Orme and three other people, remained present until around 10.45pm when they left together and got a taxi to Manchester to hide from capture. The following day, they were taken to Blackpool.

An investigation into the attack was launched by Chester CID and during their enquiries detectives arrested the defendants at different locations around the North West and interviewed the five defendants on various occasions. During questioning, they all denied their involvement, instead attempting to pass the blame to their co-accused and others.

However, as a result of the evidence gathered by detectives, the four men were subsequently charged in connection with the attack and a jury has now found them guilty.

Following the verdict, the investigating officer, Detective Constable Joe Duckworth from Cheshire Police said:

“This was clearly a pre-planned attack, Frawley initially left the scene as he knew that the victim was bigger and stronger than him, only returning once he had obtained a knife. This knife was his new found confidence and Frawley had every intention of using it against the victim.

“He stabbed him on multiple occasions while Thomas and Orme assisted and encouraged him.

“Their actions left the victim with life threatening injuries, that being severe internal bleeding, an eviscerated bowel, a collapsed lung and damage to his spleen, which had to later be removed. It was only thanks to pure luck and the expert quick thinking decisions made by paramedics, doctors and hospital staff, that he managed to survive the attack.

“While it was Frawley who inflicted those injuries, Thomas and Orme all played their part in the attack.

“Bishop then knowingly helped Frawley to cover his tracks and attempted to help him evade justice by cleaning the blood.

“Thankfully, as a result of the evidence police were able to gather, the men have now been held accountable for their actions.

“Incidents of this nature are rare in the Chester area and I hope that the conclusion of this case reassures residents that we are committed to doing all that we can to ensure that those who are intent on causing fear and harm in our communities are brought to justice.”