Self-defence plea in Wirral sword killing trial

Victim Iain Maddocks died on his 32nd birthday after calling round at Douglas Plumpton’s flat with £40 instead of the £70 he had apparently agreed to pay off his debt.

Despite treatment by paramedics and the air ambulance being called in Mr Maddocks died in hospital about an hour and half later having suffered five stab wounds and two groups of slash type wounds.

Liverpool Crown Court heard on Monday, September 17 that there was blood along 19cm of the two inch thick sword from the tip. The sword along with the knife, was shown to the jury.

Plumpton, 26, a Rastafarian, known by the nick name of ‘Jack’ has admitted manslaughter but denies murder.

Gordon Cole, QC, prosecuting, told the jury that about 2 pm on Good Friday, March 30 this year, the ambulance service was called to a flat in Whetstone Lane, Birkenhead.

Paramedics found Mr Maddocks with stab wounds to his leg and torso lying outside Plumpton’s flat “clearly in a very bad way” and he was pronounced dead in hospital at 3.26 pm. A pathologist found the cause of death was shock and haemorrhage caused primarily by a cut to his femoral artery in his left leg.

Mr Cole said that another resident in the block, Leslie Fowell, told how Mr Maddocks, who also lived there, had told him a few days earlier that he owed the defendant ‘a couple of hundred pounds’ which Plumpton had agreed could be paid back at £70 a month but in March he was only able to pay £40.

On the fatal day Plumpton banged on his door “looking scared" and he said, “I’ve stabbed Iain."

Mr Fowell said that Mr Plumpton then said, ‘he shouldn’t have f...ing kicked off at my door.’ “He then went on to say that ‘he owed me £70 but only gave me £40. What does he think I am? Some sort of d…head?’”

Mr Fowell was concerned as he knew the defendant had swords in his flat and went downstairs and saw the victim being tended to by paramedics and he described “there being blood everywhere.”

On returning to Plumpton’s flat he told him that Mr Maddocks was dead and being given heart massage. “The defendant was on the phone and was heard to say, ‘I love you dad’. The defendant then sat down and began smoking a cannabis joint,” said Mr Cole.

Plumpton, who allegedly told Mr Fowell that he had smashed the headlights on the victim’s car as he had not repaid any of the outstanding money, remained in his flat for about 20 minutes and Mr Fowell told the police where he was.

Mr Cole said that another man called by Plumpton to come round found Mr Maddocks slumped in the communal area of the flats with his head against the outside of Plumpton’s front door.

While trying to help him, Plumpton opened the door and allegedly said, ‘leave him there, the ambulance has been called.’ “He went on to say, ‘I didn’t mean it.’

“The defendant told him that Iain Maddocks had come to his flat with a knife so he armed himself with a sword and stabbed him. Mr Hurst took the sword which he saw in the flat and placed it down the side of a sofa. He rang an ambulance and remained with Iain Maddocks who was now completely unresponsive,” alleged Mr Cole.

He alleged Plumpton inflicted the fatal leg wound with the sword and used the knife to stab the victim right through the left arm and into his torso. Mr Cole said that Plumpton may say that Maddocks had a knife with him when he came to the flat.

When arrested on suspicion of attempted murder Plumpton, who identified himself as Jack Douglas, said, “Is Iain ok? I’ve got a Saxon style ceremonial sword in my flat. Iain was shouting through my letterbox. I only hit him a couple of times to get rid of him.”

After the victim died and Plumpton was arrested on suspicion of murder he replied, “Oh dear, I thought at most it would be manslaughter. He came around to mine kicking off, it was self-defence.”

Mr Cole said that the injuries showed at least an intention to inflict really serious harm and he pointed out that the victim had defensive type injuries where he was trying to fend off the blows and the weapons.

The case continues.