Attacker jailed for two Oswestry stabbings with knife and broken bottle
A man involved in two attacks in which the victims were stabbed with a knife and a broken bottle has been jailed for a total of 10 years.
The 44-year-old victim of the knife attack had to have his spleen and a kidney removed to save his life.
The other victim needed 40 stitches to his shoulder and chest caused by the broken bottle. Both attacks happened in Oswestry, a crown court was told.
Arsene Cubaka, 24, was jailed for eight years for wounding Barry Wright with intent in January last year. He was given a further two-year sentence for wounding Iran Lane during another disturbance in Oswestry in December 2015.
Cubaka, of Erdington, Birmingham, who had admitted the offences, was due to appear in court on Monday via a video link from prison, but refused to leave his cell and was sentenced in his absence.
Judge Michael Chambers QC said the incident at Castlefields in Oswestry a year ago was aggravated by it being a premeditated attack on Mr Wright who had been tracked down to enforce a drug debt.
Two other men, Telmo Bernardo, 20, and Nathan McCarthy, 23, involved in the assault on Mr Wright, were both sentenced to 30 months' custody.
Bernardo, of Caia Park, Wrexham, and McCarthy, of Selly Oak, Birmingham, had admitted charges of wounding.
Drug dealer Luke Cross, 23, of Mount View, Sutton Coldfield, was jailed for two years having been convicted of making threats to Mr Wright's daughter that her father would be shot and his home burnt down.
All four defendants were said to have previous convictions for violence, robbery and burglary and Cross had been jailed for an offence of wounding with intent.
Stafford Crown Court heard Cross and his three associates were involved in the supply of drugs in the Oswestry area.
Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Inspector Mark Bellamy from West Mercia Police said: "This was a pre-planned and orchestrated attack. A dedicated team of detectives and support staff worked extremely hard in the opening days of this inquiry, using all of the modern investigative tools available and the fact that just days after the attack occurred, two of the men involved had been identified as suspects and arrested, is testament to the efforts of everyone involved.
"The victim of this attack required life-saving surgery and was extremely fortunate that the stabbing did not fatally wound him. I hope that the sentences given to these four men yesterday enable him to begin the process of moving on with his life following this ordeal."
"We would like to reassure the community in Oswestry and surrounding areas, that incidents of this nature are very rare in the county. We are very grateful to the public for providing vital information."
