Teen threw meat cleaver at man fleeing Queens Park, Bolton

Samuel Thompson, 18 at the time, plotted with an associate of his to rob cannabis from a man on Queens Park on the evening of September 29, 2021.

More than three years on Manchester Crown Court heard how Thompson, now 21, and his associate called the man claiming to be “potential purchasers” for the cannabis.

Prosecutor Craig MacGregor said: “A meeting was arranged at Queens Park in Bolton.”

He added: “He received a call asking him to whistle, after the whistle he was approached by two males, including the defendant.”

The incident happened at Queens Park (Image: Newsquest)

Mr MacGregor told the court how after the other man hit the victim, Thompson tried to grab the drugs off him.

The victim grabbed the drugs back and tried to run off towards Chorley New Road only to feel what felt like a “punch in his back.”

But he then released that he could feel a hole in his jacket and blood.

A police social media campaign ensued to encourage people to come forward with information, prompting a woman to share text messages she had received from Thompson.

The case was heard at Manchester Crown Court (Image: Newsquest)

Mr MacGregor said that the messages included “I’ve splashed someone in Bolton with my G, I’m lost” and “he knows what I look like, I’m scared.”

Thompson was arrested on October 8 and in his first police interview stayed mostly silent.

But in his second he admitted that he was in Queens Park that evening, claimed he was “stuck in Bolton” and said the idea was to get some cannabis, smoke some and sell some.

Thompson said his victim was found by a “random number from some guy” and said he had had the meat cleaver as “more of a scare thing".

He admitted to throwing the meat cleaver but claimed to be “90 per cent sure it missed".

Samuel Thompson has been jailed (Image: GMP)

But Mr MacGregor said that “when the meat cleaver was thrown there was a wound.”

Thompson eventually pleaded guilty to attempted robbery and to possession of a bladed article.

The court heard how since incident on Queens Park more than three years ago, Thompson had become involved in a robbery in Holywell, Wales.

He was sentenced to 27 months in a young offenders institute after admitting to threatening a shop assistant with a knife and taking £50. 

Emma Calman, defending, said that despite the delays in the case Thompson, now of HMP Berwyn on Bridge Road in Wrexham, had indicated guilty pleas to the magistrates.

She admitted that his behaviour “did not help things” but told the court that he had come to regret his actions.

Ms Calman said: “However, I’ve spoken to him, I’ve taken instructions, and he does regret that he has behaved in this way.”

She told the court that Thompson had been through a “poor upbringing” and had spent most of his time since the crime was committed in prison.

Judge Timothy Smith accepted that Thompson’s criminal record was “very limited at the time” but reminded him there had been “at least some planning” involved.

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He said: “There was no intention to pay by you or your associate, you frankly admit in the course of your interview that you had no money for those drugs.”

He said that during that same interview Thompson admitted that he had “splashed someone” and that he had thrown the meat cleaver.

Judge Smith said that he hoped the 21-year-old would regard his sentence as a “wake-up call”, or else he would “spend a significant part of your life in prison.”

He jailed Thompson for three years and two months.