Prison for Mansfield man who ‘casually’ stabbed perfect stranger in the back

William Tynch and another man called their Polish victim names on the forecourt of the Texaco garage, on Rosemary Street, at 9.30pm, on August 13, said prosecutor James Varley.

“He maturely walked away and crossed the road,” he said. But 20-year-old Tynch’s companion spread his arms and continued to antagonise him.

Their victim returned and threw Tynch’s companion to the ground.

Tynch “seemingly disengaged”, but just as the incident was about to come to an end, he “casually walked up behind him and stabbed him once in the back with a bread knife”.

Tynch was arrested at his address and officers discovered the knife after he hid it in guttering.

“He is quite a robust gentleman but it took him some weeks to recover,” said Mr Varley. Tynch’s victim needed stitches and three weeks off work.

Nottingham Crown Court heard Tynch has previous convictions dating back to when he was a youth for battery and possession of a knife.

He also has convictions for criminal damage and assault, a racially-aggravated public order offence and breach of a community order.

Andrew Wesley, mitigating, said a CCTV recording of Tynch jabbing at his victim and falling over as he fled was "perhaps indicative of his state."

"He was living in supported accommodation while drinking up to a litre of vodka a day and only started using cannabis and cocaine after he moved in,” he said. “He presents as vulnerable himself in many ways and he has been diagnosed with autism.

"He has been subject to attacks and threats himself which is why he made the unfortunate decision to carry a knife.

"His grandmother died two days before this incident. He missed the funeral because he was on remand. He plans to stay away from the problematic influences he was living with at the time.”

Tynch, of Rosemary Street, Mansfield, admitted section 18 wounding and possessing a blade at the magistrates’ court.On Tuesday Judge Nirmal Shant KC gave him three years and four months for the stabbing, with an additional 146 days for his second knife offence.