Men who stabbed Rushden dog walker jailed for more than 11 years after serious assault outside Wetherspoons pub

On Saturday, January 13 this year, Colin Conner Mark Jeffers and Francis Michael Moynach approached a man in his 40s walking his dog on a footpath behind Asda in Rushden.

All three walked along the footpath and into High Street where the man was invited to join them for a drink by Jeffers and Moynach at The Railway Inn at about 10.30pm.

After being refused service, tempers flared leading to 23-year-old Moynach punching the female manager before more violence resulting in the victim being stabbed.

Lead investigator Detective Constable Vicky Wiley of CID North said: “This was a particularly brutal and entirely senseless act of violence by two men on a man they had only just met.

"This attack could easily have had fatal consequences but thankfully, on this occasion, the victim is continuing with his recovery.

“Such violence will not be tolerated in Northamptonshire and anyone carrying a knife in our county should expect to be dealt with robustly, and I am pleased that this stance has been reflected in the custodial sentence that both Moynach and Jeffers received.”

Prior to the stabbing, the victim and Moynach had entered the pub, while Jeffers sat outside with the man’s dog. However, when the manager refused to serve them, Moynach became angry and kicked the door as he stormed out.

He went back into the pub with 37-year-old Jeffers and following a verbal exchange with the manager, Moynach punched her in the face before assaulting a male customer, who stepped in to help her.

As all three men left the pub, Jeffers became aggressive towards the victim, producing a knife and attempting to stab him in the head. He then handed the weapon to Moynach, who went on to stab the man in his abdomen before both fled the scene.

Jeffers, of Stamford Road, Kettering, was arrested on January 17 and subsequently charged with three offences - Section 18 wounding with intent, possession of a knife blade/sharp article in a public place and threatening a person with an offensive weapon.

Moynach, formerly of Titchmarsh but of no fixed address, was arrested six days later and charged with four offences - Section 18 wounding with intent, possession of a knife blade/sharp article in a public place and two counts of common assault.

Jeffers and Moynach appeared at Northampton Magistrates’ Court on January 18 and January 25 respectively, where they were both remanded in custody and their case transferred to the county’s crown court for trial.

The trial was due to start at Northampton Crown Court on June 9, but the pair changed their pleas before the jury was sworn in and the hearing was adjourned to August 16, when they both returned to the same court for sentencing.

Moynach pleaded guilty to all four of his offences and was sentenced to six years and 11 months in prison for his role in the serious assault.

Jeffers was jailed for four years and three months after accepting an alternative offence of Section 20 wounding/inflict grievous bodily harm without intent, on the basis that he passed the knife to Moynach, as well as admitting the other two charges.

Detective Constable Vicky Wiley added: “As a force, we continue to highlight the dangers of knives – they are exceptionally dangerous weapons, and sadly all too often we see the devastating consequences of knife crime, not just in Northamptonshire but across the UK.

"The force is committed to working with partners and our many communities as part of Operation Sceptre to educate, engage and listen to their concerns about knife crime, while at the same time taking robust action against those people who commit crimes.”