A 'DANGEROUS, violent' Chester man who slashed his victim across the neck with a knife has received an extended jail sentence and banned from the whole of Blacon.

Ricky Jones, 30, pleaded guilty on the day his trial was due to begin at Chester Crown Court of wounding Kieran Forshaw-Roddy and possession of the knife.

He also pleaded guilty to a separate charge of assaulting an emergency worker on March 29, 2019, again on the day his trial was due to begin, after prosecutors offered no evidence on two similar charges from the same night.

He received a five-year extended prison sentence for unlawful wounding, plus two consecutive prison terms for assaulting an emergency worker and carrying a bladed article. 

The wounding took place in the car park outside the Waggon & Horses at about 9.30pm on April 19, 2019.

Prosecuting at Jones's sentencing at Chester Crown Court on Wednesday, January 15, Dafydd Roberts said Mr Forshaw-Roddy ran into the pub shortly after the attack, clutching his neck, with blood spurting out from his fingers.

A witness heard him shouting words to the effect of: "He slashed me, Ricky slashed me, I am going to die."

Another witness recalled 30-year-old Mr Forshaw-Roddy saying: "He cut me, he cut my jugular, I'm going to die."

The victim was taken to Aintree Hospital and underwent surgery. He declined to give any details of the attack when questioned by emergency workers and police, the court heard.

Upon seeing an image of the extensive patched-up wound Mr Forshaw-Roddy received on his neck, Recorder of Chester, Judge Steven Everett said: "It's truly terrible, how he did not die I have no idea.

"If he did die, I strongly suspect police would have charged the defendant with murder and, if convicted, he would have got life imprisonment...with a minimum of 25 years."

CCTV evidence played to the court showed Jones - who was driven to the Waggon & Horses by someone else in a white BMW - stepping out of the car and chasing after Mr Forshaw-Roddy.

The court heard Jones was already on police bail for assaulting an emergency worker.

After being arrested just after midnight on March 29, Jones was taken to Blacon Custody Suite, where he verbally abused staff there.

When officers went to put handcuffs on him due to his aggressive behaviour, detention officer Nicholas Glynn received a sprained thumb in the subsequent scuffle and captor spray was used on Jones before he was led to his cell. 

Mr Roberts told the court Jones had 33 previous convictions for 81 offences, including 15 for different types of assault.

They included an assault with actual bodily harm in 2008, when he punched a female in the face, knocking her unconscious, before kicking her while she lay on the ground.

Jones had also previously been jailed in 2016 for affray following a 10-hour stand-off with police at his house, telling officers he was going "to go out like Raoul Moat" and "that guy in Manchester" [Dale Cregan], and for an assault at the Cash For You store in Flint when he was armed with a baseball bat.

Judge Everett remarked: "This is one of the worst records I have ever seen - truly awful. The sad feature is I don't think he cares, really."

A criminal behaviour order was sought against Jones, banning him from all licensed premises in Cheshire West and Chester.

Judge Everett asked: "What about preventing him from entering Blacon? Why should he go back there?"

Mr Roberts replied: "The prosecution thought it would be too extreme."

But Judge Everett replied: "Why? All he does is cause trouble there. He regards himself as some sort of gangster in Blacon and he can do whatever he wants in there.

"The large majority of people in Blacon are law-abiding, decent people. Blacon has gained an unfair reputation that a lot of trouble takes place there, when it's a very small number of criminals who cause that trouble, of which he is one.

"A lot of that trouble is caused in Blacon as well.

"I don't see why he should go back there."

A separate part of a proposed criminal behaviour order, for Jones to be engaged with the integrated offender management scheme, was rejected.

Defending, David Birrell said there was at least some prospect of reform and rehabilitation for Jones, and showed signs of remorse and regret.

Jones was striving to make the most of his time inside, had self-referred to the drugs team and was a mentor to younger offenders.

He had support from his fiancee and his mother, who stood by him.

"Not all hope is lost," Mr Birrell told the court.

Judge Everett, sentencing Jones, told him: "With regards to the assault on an emergency worker; there was an issue at home [when arrested], you were undoubtedly angered about that and on CCTV had an injury to your wrist.

"You struggled to control your anger and got yourself worked up in the station.

"The things you said - normal people don't say those things, or direct it at police officers who are only doing their job.

"You squared up to them and did not care, even when in a police station.

"They tried to control you. You are a big, fit, strong young man. You are a very powerful individual and it's clear you revel in that.

"They had difficulty in controlling you. Detention officer Glynn suffered a sprained thumb. You needn't have done it."

In terms of the wounding, Judge Everett told Jones: "You know how serious it is. The real reason [behind it] we won't know; there was an issue between you two.

"You went to the pub carrying a particularly sharp knife. You chased after him and you slashed him to the left side of the neck. It's astonishing he did not die.

"It's clear that was a pre-meditated act that had criminal undertones."

Judge Everett added that Jones someone who "wants to manipulate, control and dominate," and believed an extended sentence was appropriate in this case.

Jones was handed a five-year extended sentence for unlawful wounding. Of those five years, he must serve four years in custody and one year on licence.

On top of that, he was sentenced to nine months for carrying the knife and a further three months for assaulting an emergency worker, with all sentences to be served consecutively.

A criminal behaviour order was imposed, banning Jones from the Blacon area and every licensed premises in the Cheshire West and Chester area until further order.