Deacon Hart, 21, of Viscount Road, Wigan, has been jailed for two years after slashing a pensioner across the neck with a knife. The attack followed a row over Hart riding his motorbike on a pedestrian bridge.
Attack on the bridge
At around 3.45pm on June 27, 2024, an elderly man was walking his two dogs off their lead on the pedestrian bridge over the M58 Motorway in Orrell, Wigan. He saw Hart on the bridge and told him he should not be using his motorbike on the public footpath. After a commotion, the pensioner was slashed on the right side of his neck, losing a substantial amount of blood.
Cell site analysis placed Hart, then 19, at the location at the time of the attack. An off-duty police officer gave vital first aid to the man while Hart escaped, leaving his motorbike, gloves, and helmets at the scene. These were forensically linked to him.
Investigation and arrest
Hart disposed of his clothes and the knife in a wooded area near the scene. He called a taxi from Redwood Park, Wigan, changed his clothing at home, and fled to Manchester. On June 28, 2024, he was arrested. Analysis of his mobile phone revealed he had been messaging friends to recover the knife. On July 1, 2024, the knife was recovered in a wooded area off Beachwood Crescent/Cedar Grove, Orrell.
The pensioner was taken to hospital in a major trauma centre, where he received an immediate blood transfusion and underwent successful life-saving surgery the same day.
Sentencing and comments
Hart pleaded guilty to Section 20 GBH and possession of an offensive weapon in a public place. DC Riyaz Patel of Wigan Division said: “Firstly, I would like to thank the complainant for his bravery and courage. I would also like to commend the off-duty officer who had administered life-saving first aid as well as all the emergency services that were involved as without their excellent work this would’ve been a murder investigation.”
Senior Investigating Officer DS Andrew Partington from Wigan Neighbourhood Crime Team said: “This was a serious and complexed investigation and I’d like to thank the victim for his bravery throughout.”
