Thug stabbed his drug dealer 15 times on his doorstep in argument over £25 debt

Darren Spencer, 30, has been jailed after stabbing Connor Mutch outside his home in Litherland, Merseyside, and leaving him "lucky to be alive" following an argument

A man stabbed his drug dealer 15 times and left him "lucky to be alive" over a £25 debt, a court heard.

Darren Spencer, 30, launched the attack on Connor Mutch after they "bickered over a £25 debt and a broken window". The victim was knifed in the face, back and chest outside his own flat and left with a punctured lung as well as a permanent scar on his face.

Liverpool Crown Court was told Spencer and Mr Mutch, 26, had a "connection concerning drugs", with the latter said to have supplied the former with cocaine previously. The two men had been drinking and taking drugs at Mr Mutch's apartment on Cross Hey in Litherland in the early hours of April 17 when they began to "bicker over a debt of about £25 and a broken window".

Gareth Roberts, prosecuting, described how the defendant was told to leave as a result of this exchange and while he did so, he then subsequently returned at around 8am and "barged into" the property. A struggle then ensued at the front door, during which Spencer punched Mr Mutch in the face before pulling out a knife and chasing him into a communal garden where a council employee had been working moments beforehand. The victim was then repeatedly stabbed to the chest, back and face.

Spencer ran from the scene and left him "struggling to breathe on the floor". Mr Mutch was subsequently taken to Aintree Hospital and had to undergo surgery, with one of the blows from the knife having caused a collapsed left lung, reported the Liverpool Echo. In a statement which was read out to the court on his behalf, the dad to an 11-year-old daughter detailed how he has been left with a "large scar" on his face which serves as a "constant reminder of what went on". He added: "Looking back, I genuinely believe I could have died that day and I feel lucky to be alive."

Spencer gave a prepared statement to detectives following his arrest and claimed that he had "grabbed the knife and lashed out in self-defence" after apparently being attacked. His previous convictions include robberies in 2011 and 2014 and offences of possession of a bladed articles and offensive weapons in a public place from 2014 and 2023. One of these incidents concerned him brandishing a knife towards a cyclist and demanding money from him. Another saw him threaten his ex-girlfriend's mum with a weapon after the two had rowed over a £200 debt he owed to her daughter.

Spencer was also one of two assailants who chased and attacked an off-duty police officer with a bottle while "calling him a grass". His most recent court appearance came following an altercation in April last year, during which he was said to have "become angry" with a man for whom he was caring because he had asked for his medication. This allegedly led to him repeatedly punching his victim in the face and leaving him with a broken jaw and nose. Spencer was not charged with assault in connection with the disturbance but was prosecuted in relation to a knuckle duster found in his possession when he was detained by the police.

Rebecca Penfold, defending, told the court that her client's nine-year gap in offending "demonstrated that he is capable of leading a law abiding lifestyle" but said that he had turned to taking drugs after finding his mum dead. She added: "He describes himself as barely coping. He recognises that this led to him feeling overwhelmed with the responsibility that ensued and the responsibility for his brother. He has shown insight that the pressures of life led to him self-medicating by way of class A drugs. That led him down a path that he had started to walk clear of. He wants to better himself."

Spencer admitted wounding with intent and making threats with a bladed article. Appearing via video link to HMP Liverpool on Tuesday, he was jailed for seven years and three months, a term which he must serve at least two thirds of behind bars before becoming eligible for release on parole, and handed an additional four years on licence.

Sentencing, Judge Gary Woodhall told him that he had "armed himself with a dangerous weapon with ease" before inflicting "repeated blows with that knife towards sensitive parts of the body", continuing what had become a "pattern of knife related offences". Spencer was also handed a restraining order banning him from contacting his victim for 16 years.

Merseyside Police's Detective Constable David Rutherford said following the sentencing: "This was a shocking attack in which the victim was subjected to 15 stab and slash wounds. It's only down to sheer fortune that his injuries weren't fatal. Thankfully, our officers were able to arrest Spencer quickly after the incident was first reported to us and he will now spend a considerable amount of time in prison for his actions. There is no place for knives on our streets and our work continues to reassure the public and take action against those who store, carry and use weapons.

"As police officers, we see first hand the devastation caused by knife crime and will continue working tirelessly to prevent other lives from being taken. We also rely on our communities to be our eyes and ears, and I would ask anyone with information about any of these incidents to come forward and speak to us either directly or anonymously via Crimestoppers. I would also encourage anyone who has information about anyone choosing to carry or store weapons to get in touch and tell us what they know."