Rebecca Law was left permanently scarred after a thug began swiping at another man in the Legends Tent at Reminisce Festival during an ill-fated “revenge” attack
A mum has recounted the harrowing moment she “could have ended up dead” after being viciously slashed by a stranger at a music festival. Rebecca Law suffered permanent damage after a man, in what was described as a “revenge” attack gone wrong, lashed out with a blade in the Legends Tent at Reminisce Festival.
The assailant, Josh Jones, mistakenly struck her with the “razor-sharp” weapon and then shockingly continued to indulge in alcohol and drugs despite her cries of distress. Ms Law has since condemned her attacker as a menace to society, stating: “It could have been your mum or daughter.”
Liverpool Crown Court was told on Friday afternoon that Ms Law had been enjoying the event at Sherdley Park in St Helens on September 7 with friends and family. But at around 4pm, she found herself inadvertently caught in the crossfire when CCTV footage showed Jones, from Stamfordham Drive in Allerton, attempting to knife another individual.
Tragically, it was the 29-year-old Ms Law who bore the brunt of the assault, sustaining a severe wound to her arm which made her “immediately recoil” from the pain. Her brother swiftly intervened, helping her to seek medical aid.
Prosecutor Christopher Taylor highlighted the incident as a stark example of the dangers posed by knife possession in public. He emphasised to the court that Ms Law’s ordeal was a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, leading to significant injuries due to the defendant’s reckless actions, reports the Liverpool Echo.
The mum, who suffered a seven-inch gash requiring 17 stitches, has been left with a permanent scar and enduring trauma. In her statement to the court, she recounted: “Initially, I was in shock when then incident happened and I didn’t register what happened until three weeks later when I returned to work. The scar is there, and when I look at it it triggers my flashbacks. When I go out, I hide my arm.
“I got scared of going out in crowds. I thought I was a strong person, but I never thought of anything like this before. I didn’t know how to deal with this.
“I used to be easy going and not take life seriously. Now, I’m not the same person I was. My children can see how much I’m struggling. They’re always worrying about me. They’re wonderful children, but it’s clear it’s impacted them as well as myself.
“He is a danger to the public. It’s not right to carry weapons. It’s not normal. I keep thinking about what what if the incident was a lot worse. I could have ended up dead. It’s what haunts me most. I was a normal person at a festival. I could have ended up dead. It could have been his mum or daughter it happened to. Life is far too short.”
Jones was apprehended at the festival around 11.30pm, with a bloodied Stanley knife and T-shirt found nearby, though neither were conclusively linked to Ms Law’s injuries.
Mr Taylor revealed that the defendant, in his pre-sentence report, “described a revenge element to the offending”. Jones boasts a lengthy criminal record with 10 prior convictions for 16 crimes, including a 27-month sentence in 2018 for wounding and having a bladed item in public.
He was once involved in an incident where he contributed to the stabbing and punching of a man at a betting shop, resulting in the victim sustaining a punctured lung. In his defence, Kate Morley contended: “On behalf of Mr Jones, he does request that I make plain that there is no excuse or justification in his actions or lashing out.
“He himself had been the victim of a vicious assault. He was deluded into thinking that the safest option for him was to carry a blade for his self protection in case he was assaulted again. Of course, he never intended for her to come to harm. He is extremely sorry for the injuries he caused, but acknowledges that is of no consolation to her.
“Mr Jones did not have the benefit of a conventional education. Following his offences eight years ago, Mr Jones made some positive steps. He moved away from negative peers. He was working as a forklift driver. He knows that he only has himself to blame for the position that he is in now.”
Acknowledging his wrongdoing, Jones pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding and possession of an offensive weapon in public. Dressed in a khaki green Nike T-shirt in the courtroom, he responded to his three-year imprisonment with a nod and thumbs up.
Judge Stuart Driver KC noted that Jones could have faced a more severe charge of wounding with intent, but the Crown Prosecution Service’s decision not to pursue this meant the court was unable to impose an extended determinate sentence for public protection. In his sentencing remarks, he stated: “You took a Stanley blade into a festival.
“You entered the busy hospitality tent and lashed at a man. You missed but you hit the arm of an entirely innocent woman, causing a seven-inch long, deep, gaping wound which required 17 stitches.
“Photographs of the victim’s injuries tell me that [the weapon] was razor sharp. I am satisfied that there is a permanent injury, in the scar. She was experiencing effects in her ability to carry out her normal, day to day activities.
“There are aggravating features here. There is the element of planning, or at least preparation. You smuggled this blade past security staff into the festival because you intended to use it, if such a situation arose.
“The location of the offence is an aggravating feature. It was not just a festival, but it was a busy hospitality tent in it. You were under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Finally, it is made much worse by your 16 previous convictions, in particular, the fact that, in 2018, you were sentenced to 27 months for offences which were of the same type as this.
“These are grossly aggravating features. In mitigation, you have mental health and learning difficulties. I do not accept that you have shown genuine remorse. The pre-sentence report tells us that you heard this woman’s screams, and your reaction was to stay at the festival drinking and taking drugs. When arrested hours later, you still had the blade in your possession. In my judgement, you are a dangerous offender.”