Ashford thug’s vicious screwdriver attack after spying half-naked man in girlfriend’s house

A thug who discovered his partner “with another man” punched her in the face before stabbing her guest with a screwdriver, puncturing a lung.

Ricky Wells was banging on her front door in Ashford when he spied a half-naked man through the letterbox and began screaming abuse.

After kicking down the back gate, the enraged 52-year-old barged into Emma Venamore’s home, ran upstairs and punched her in the face.

Wells, who lives in the town, then grabbed a nearby flat-head screwdriver and stabbed Mr Cooper in the chest and armpit.

He was jailed for five years at Canterbury Crown Court last week following a trial.

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“This was a stabbing carried out by this defendant who was, you may think, at the very least disappointed that Mr Venamore was entertaining someone else,” prosecutor Ian Foinette told the court.

“And you may imagine that he was wound up, and the principle object of his anger was Mr Cooper.

“When he struck that screwdriver into Mr Cooper, not once but twice, to his chest and under his armpit, he intended to cause serious harm.”

Ms Venamore sustained a black eye while Mr Cooper suffered a punctured lung and spent four days in intensive care.

Following the attack, Wells ripped a microwave off the wall before leaving the property and later turned himself into police however, he gave a no comment police interview.

But during the two day trial last week Wells would claim he acted in self-defence.

Susan Fewins, defending, claimed Wells believed Mr Cooper was intruding inside the property armed with the screwdriver.

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She argued Mr Cooper became injured as Wells attempted to disarm him, while Ms Venamore’s injuries arose as a result of the defendant pushing past her.

But a jury saw through his lies and unanimously found him guilty of wounding with intent and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

Judge Simon Taylor KC told Wells he “flew into a rage” after finding Mr Cooper “with your woman”.

“Make no mistake about it, this was an offence of domestic abuse, which the court takes very seriously,” he said.

“You used a weapon on another human being and you did cause life-threatening injuries…”

“You broke into her house, and found another man – that caused you to fly into a rage.

“You ran up the stairs calling her a slag, when you saw her you punched her in the face causing her to fall to the floor.

“Then you tuned your attention to the man who was the primary source of anger, a man who had the temerity to be with your woman.

“You then used a weapon on another human being and you did cause life-threatening injuries.

Wells, of Chart Road, was jailed for five years and handed a 10-year restraining order following the attack in July last year.

He must not contact either of his victims or go to their addresses or place of work.