Man jailed for 24 years after axe attack at Suffolk pub

David Perry left a friend with serious injuries after attacking him in a pub in Clare last year

Jailed: David Perry
Author: Matt SoanesPublished 19th Apr 2023
Last updated 19th Apr 2023

A man has been jailed for 24 years after attacking another man with an axe in a Suffolk pub, leaving him with serious injuries.

40 year old David Perry, of St Margaret's Place in Stradishall, was arrested following the serious assault at the Bell Hotel in Clare on March 19 2022.

Ipswich Crown Court heard how Perry had got into an argument with friends and was told to leave.

However he returned a short time later having retrieved an axe from his van.

The Bell Hotel in Clare

The victim suffered serious head injuries and had to be treated at Addenbrooke's Hospital. The court heard he was lucky to have survived without serious brain damage.

Perry was arrested on March 20 and charged with attempted murder. He was found guilty in January this year.

He will serve at least two thirds of his sentence behind bars and was also handed an 18 month term to be served concurrently for charges related to carrying an axe.

Perry was also handed an indefinite restraining order, banning him from contacting any member of his victim's family.

Speaking at the time of conviction, PC Jacqueline Isobel White of Suffolk Constabulary said: “This was a cowardly attack and a frightening experience for the victim, his family and for those that witnessed this incident.

"The victim is extremely lucky to have survived.”

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