Gang member sentenced to five years after man stabbed at Sunday League football match in Northampton

A gang member from Northampton has been sentenced to five years and five months in prison for wounding with intent after he and armed accomplices beat and stabbed a man at a Sunday League football match.

Jerome Dannie Dallie McDonald, aged 32, formerly of Pennycress Place, who is currently in prison for conspiring to supply Class A drugs, was sentenced at Northampton Crown Court on Friday, (February 25), for one count of wounding with intent to cause grevious bodily harm.

The crime, to which McDonald pleaded guilty to on what was supposed to be his first day at trial, took place July 21, 2019 at Ecton Brook Playing Fields. It saw McDonald call in "four to five" friends, armed with knives and a "shotgun", to "deal out violence" following an argument over the match, the court heard.

Douglas Page, prosecuting, said: "The victim was there supporting the Wellingborough team and was watching from the sidelines. McDonald was watching from the stands.

"After one particularly strong tackle, an argument started.

"McDonald became involved in this argument and he was described as being particularly aggressive. He started issuing threats which included threats to stab the other people involved.

"McDonald and the victim exchanged words, in which the victim told McDonald to stop making threats and then walked away.

"McDonald said he would call his friends to back him up and the victim said he did not care. McDonald then did exactly what he had threatened to do and called his friends."

Witnesses saw McDonald shortly after with "four to five other people" who were seen to be armed with knives and what was believed to be a shotgun, however this could not be confirmed as the weapon was not recovered.

A shot was fired in the direction of the victim, causing him to flee, the court was told. However, the victim sadly lost his footing and fell to the ground, something the armed men used to their advantage.

Mr Page continued: "As he was on the ground, the group took the opportunity to attack him.

"The victim was injured as a result of the attacks on him. He had three stab wounds; one to the left armpit, one to the left abdomen and one to the back of his right thigh."

Fortunately, the injuries caused were "not severe" and the victim later discharged himself from hospital. He also refused to cooperate with the subsequent police investigation.

McDonald was promptly arrested by the police after he was easily identified by the many witnesses of the attack, which included children.

Speaking in his defence, Brigid Baillie argued that the offender, who has 21 past convictions including 15 common assaults and three more for causing actual bodily harm, was "a man without hope".

Mrs Baillie suggested his criminal activities were due to the death of his grandfather and the subsequent loss of "boundaries" at the age of 14, when he first offended. As a result, she proposed that he was "institutionalised" having spent much of his life going in and out of prison.

However Her Honour Judge Rebecca Crane, presiding, deemed the offender to be "dangerous" and accepted presentence reports that stated McDonald had an "entrenched pattern of behaviour", especially with "interpersonal violence".

Her Honour said: "It is accepted by the prosecution that you did not know a firearm would be brought to the scene. But you did know they would be armed.

"You have a history of poor relations with authority and the probation service, at times becoming aggressive. You have an inability, or a difficulty, engaging with probation, especially when your behaviour is challenged.

"I have to consider whether you are dangerous for the purpose of the protection of the public. It is clear that this criteria has been met."

McDonald was sentenced as a dangerous offender to an extended sentence of 10 years and five months comprising a five years and five months custodial term with an extension period of five years.