Ian Hensworth slashed Linsey Perry with a craft knife as she sat in a chair
A football fan who slashed a woman’s throat because she “messed up” his TV recordings of Euro 2020 has been jailed for 22 years.
Alcoholic Ian Hensworth flew into a rage and attacked Linsey Perry with a craft knife in front of their horrified friends, accusing her of breaking his Digibox which he had used to record the Euro 2020 football matches on TV.
Perry was rushed to hospital in a critical condition. The 41-year-old survived but suffered horrific injuries.
Hensworth was jailed on Wednesday at Nottingham Crown Court after being found guilty of attempted murder.
The 63-year-old was watching football with friends at his home in Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, on June 16 last year when he got into a row with Perry.
The court heard Henworth accused Perry of wrecking his TV recordings so marched to a nearby Costcutter where he bought a craft knife.
When he returned home he walked up to Perry who was sitting on a chair and slashed her throat.
He then ran out of the house to a nearby alleyway where he sat down. .
Police and medics were called and when Hensworth was arrested he told officers Perry had “messed up his football” so he “killed her”.
“She broke my football and I slashed her throat that’s all there is to it full stop,” he added.
Speaking after the case, Detective Constable James Newton, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “This was a vicious and unprovoked attack which very nearly cost a woman her life.”
Newton said if it wasn’t for the “quick actions” of Perry’s friends and police, “it is likely that the victim would have died, and it is both fortunate and thankful that she made a recovery given the injuries he inflicted on her”.
He added that Hensworth and Perry knew each other, “so it is abhorrent that he also betrayed that”.
“Astonishingly, after the incident he remained completely nonchalant, admitting the offence to officers and quite bluntly stating he thought he had killed her, saying that the reason was because she had ‘messed up his football’.
“Not only this, he then went on to plead not guilty and put the victim and others involved through a trial, which could only go one way given the evidence.”
Related links:
- Fugitive sex offender Paul Robson arrested in Skegness
- Woman used covid relief cash to hire a hitman to murder a love rival, police say
- Fresh from paying his way out of sex abuse case Prince Andrew wants to become ambassador for victims
