A man has been jailed for seven years after repeatedly stabbing a father of six outside of a primary school. Barry Parkes, 43, used a pen-knife on his key ring to stab Steven Higginson, 33 after the men started to row.
Following the attack – which was sparked by a long running dispute between the two men – children who attended North Walkden Primary School in Salford were reportedly too traumatised to return for weeks afterwards.
In a victim impact statement, Steven said: “My oldest son has become fearful of going to school on alone. My eldest daughter spends her time looking around her checking the offenders are nowhere near her.
“My youngest asks why I was stabbed. All the children have been upset and extremely unsettled. It was both shocking and disgusting.”
At the sentencing, Judge Hilary Manley said: “It was a disgraceful, frightening incident played out in full view of numerous children who were left disturbed and traumatised by what they saw.
“I have seen photographs of the blood at the scene and it must have been a terrifying incident for those young children to see.”