Widnes man jailed after violent attack in Warrington
He also caused £8,734 worth of damage inside a business located in the Cockhedge Shopping Centre
A 37-year-old man from Widnes has been sentenced to eight months in prison after seriously assaulting a member of the public and causing significant damage at a commercial premises in Warrington.
Constantin Lupo, of Fredrick Street, Widnes, was found guilty of criminal damage, inflicting grievous bodily harm, and possession of a bladed article in public following a four-day trial at Liverpool Crown Court. He was sentenced on Friday, 1 August.
The court heard that on 11 June 2023, Lupo used a bar stool to smash five slot machines inside a business located in the Cockhedge Shopping Centre, causing damage totalling £8,734.
When a member of the public attempted to intervene, Lupo produced a lock knife and attacked the man, leaving him with multiple injuries, including cuts to his head, arms, and legs. Despite his injuries, the victim and several others managed to disarm and restrain Lupo until Cheshire Police officers arrived and arrested him at the scene.
During a police interview, Lupo admitted to becoming angry at the slot machines, claiming they had been “lying” to him, but denied intentionally causing the injuries with the knife. He also claimed the injured man had tried to stop him from leaving, and that he only pushed him to the ground.
Lupo pleaded not guilty to all charges, but a jury convicted him following a trial that concluded on 2 July. He was subsequently handed his sentence on 1 August.
Detective Constable Stephan Wolstenholme said: “Even in light of Constantin Lupo maintaining his innocence throughout the entire investigation and forcing the victim to relive the incident in court all over again, I do hope that today’s result offers some reassurance to the victim involved in this unjustified and violent ordeal.
“This could have been a potentially life-threatening situation for the member of staff who had, rightfully, challenged Lupo, who could not handle the result of his afternoon of gambling and caused a substantial amount of damage to several machines he had been using.
“The victim was simply doing all they could to stop Lupo's rampage and did not deserve to be violently attacked. Cheshire Police treats every report of assault with the utmost seriousness, and our officers will do everything they can to get victims the justice they deserve.”