Seven years in jail for Telford man who stabbed friend for no reason in Aldi car park
A Telford man who stabbed his friend four times for no reason in an Aldi car park has been jailed for seven years.
Declan Ecclestone, 21, of Gloucester Avenue, Dawley, had spent the afternoon with Paul Evans and his girlfriend in Telford on April 14 last year.
Shrewsbury Crown Court heard that the trio had gone to Aldi in Donnington in Mr Evans' BMW.
All had appeared normal until Evans and his partner were loading shopping into the car, when Ecclestone stabbed his supposed friend four times in the side.
The victim's partner described seeing the attack, saying she had seen him stabbing Mr Evans "with an evil eye".
Mr Evans and his partner battled shock to deal with the injuries, rushing to Princess Royal Hospital in Telford for treatment.
Jaspreet Dhaliwal, prosecuting, explained how after assessment Mr Evans had been taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham where he required surgery on his injuries, as well as life-saving blood supplies.
Ecclestone meanwhile discarded the weapon, which was never recovered, and fled to a nearby McDonald's where he was seen asking people to use their phones.
While at the restaurant he changed his appearance to avoid detection, threw away evidence by chucking a glove he had been wearing into a sanitary bin, and then made arrangements for his grandmother to collect him.
