A VIOLENT criminal on a vodka and drugs bender beat up an innocent person in his car before stabbing another stranger just moments later.

Thug Connor Dewhurst has a long history of violence including a brutal hammer attack on a police officer when he was just 13.

He was sentenced to three years in a young offenders' institute in 2009 for that offence and later escaped from custody.

Since then, the now 24-year-old has been arrested, charged and jailed on several occasions for robbery, violent disorder and assault – a lengthy criminal record which Judge Philip Parry described as appalling.

On this occasion, Dewhurst attacked two men within a five-minute period at around midnight on July 24, leaving one with stab wounds.

The court heard how the Blackburn man had spent the day drinking vodka, had taken prescription and non-prescription drugs and smoked cannabis before he embarked on his rampage outside The Sun pub in Astley Gate in the town.

In total he appeared to be sentenced for five counts – affray, assault by beating, threatening with a blade, possession of a blade and unlawful wounding.

Jailing him for four years, Judge Philip Parry said: “Your first victim was waiting in his car on Astley Gate with his door open, waiting to pick someone up who he is a carer for.

“Whatever had gone on earlier that evening between you, your friends and others in a nearby pub spilled out onto Astley Gate.

“You were significantly under the influence of a large quantity of alcohol and prescribed medication as well as cannabis and you seem to have a problem with people inside the pub and others out on the street as well.

“You had no problem at all with the victim, who was sat in his car minding his own business when you and your associate walked over to him. You were bouncing around plainly looking for a fight. You had a knife tucked in your waistband and with the door open you approached him and lifted your top to reveal the knife.

“Rather chillingly, it seems to me, you said to him ‘do you want this as well?’

“Inexplicably you then set about kicking him. Had it not been for a member of the public intervening, I have no doubt that you would have gone to assault him in much greater depth and possibly even using the knife against him.”

The court heard how Dewhurst, of Silverdale Close, then turned on a group in the street – wildly slashing and swinging the knife around.

Judge Parry said: “You were marauding on those streets around Astley Gate wielding the knife.

“When people tried to push you away from going back into the public house and tried to dissuade you from violence you confronted them.

“Your anger was indiscriminate, it seemed to me. You were annoyed and frustrated with everybody. When people sought to approach you, you indicated that you threatened unlawful violence towards them by slashing out.

“One of the people who was seeking to dissuade you from going back into the pub was your next victim.

“You broke away from the crowd and so did he. You turned your attentions towards him. You were slashing out with your knife towards him and you stabbed at him, him lifting his leg up to protect himself. You stabbed him in his left thigh.”

The victim, who was rushed to hospital with a wound, was left unable to walk properly for two weeks.

Judge Parry added: “Your behaviour can only be described as appalling, frightening and ultimately serious as far as the wounding was concerned.

“I have read the report and you concede you had been drinking vodka all day, mixing prescribed medications and non-prescribed medication. You had also been taking cannabis.

“You have an appalling criminal record for someone as young as you are – 24 court appearances comprising of 73 previous convictions.

“Of significance and of aggravating nature as far as today’s sentencing is concerned, I identify the 2008 offences of robbery, possession of a knife.

“In 2009 section 18 wounding with intent to cause GBH – that was offence committed by you, where you used a hammer and struck a police officer, causing him GBH. You were sent to a young offenders' institute and you were only 13.

“I am aware of your family upbringing including the death of your brother from which you suffer PTSD.

“Your barrister says you are now engaging well with drug services. Through your adult life you have been tethered to drugs and alcohol it would seem and you are desperate to rid yourself of your addiction.”