A PLAISTOW CARPENTER HAD A MIRACULOUS ESCAPE FROM

A PLAISTOW CARPENTER HAD A MIRACULOUS ESCAPE FROM DEATH WHEN
THREE OF HIS DRINKING COMPANIONS HURLED HIM FROM A FOURTH FLOOR
BALCONY.

‘YOU MAY THINK IT REMARKABLE THAT GOD PROTECTS DRUNKS AND
CHILDREN’, SAID MR TIMOTHY DAVIS, PROSECUTING,
‘DAZED’ AND DRUNK, STEPHEN COOK, 35, HAD SOMEHOW MANAGED TO
SURVIVE THE 30 FOOT FALL FROM THE BLOCK AT JAMES SINCLAR POINT,
PLAISTOW.

HE STAGGERED TO A THIRD FLOOR FLAT AND KNOCKED AT THE WINDOW
OF AN 80 YEAR OLD WOMAN.

‘BUT SHE THOUGHT IHE WAS AN INTRUDER AND
CALLED THE POLICE’, SAID COUNSEL.

WHEN POLICE ARRIVED MR COOK ‘REMARKABLY’ MANAGED TO WALK BACK
TO HIS FLAT AND IDENTIFIED THE ATTACKERS.

THE BIZARRE EVENTS HAPPENED ON JANUARY 22 THIS YEAR WHEN MR
COOK, A CARPENTER, JOINED HIS FLATMATE AND THREE COMPANIONS IN AN
AFTER-WORK DRINKING SESSION.

BUT A SHORT TIME LATER MR COOK WAS SET UPON AS HIS FLATMATE
LAY ‘COMATOSE’ IN THE BEDROOM.

HE WAS HIT ON THE HEAD WITH A HAMMER AND A VODKA BOTTLE,
KICKED AND PUNCHED TO THE FLOOR, AND THEN DRAGGED TO THE BALCONY AND
PUT OVER THE EDGE,THE JURY HEARD.

‘HANGING ON FOR DEAR LIFE HIS FINGERS WERE HIT UNTIL HE LET GO
AND PLUMMETED DOWN’, SAID MR DAVIS.

FORTUNATELY CONCRETE STRUTS BROKES HIS FALL AND HE ‘BOUNCED
DOWN’,LANDING ON THE SUPERMARKET ROOF 30 FEET BELOW.

MR COOK’S INJURIES INCLUDED A FRACTURED SKULL.

IN THE DOCK ARE NICHOLAS WESTON, 28, OF FOURTH AVENUE, MANOR
PARK, PATRICK BARRETT, 24, OF BURRARD ROAD, CANNING TOWN, AND RAYMOND
MCIVER, 27, OF HAROLD ROAD, PLAISTOW.

ALL DENY ATTEMPTING TO MURDER MR COOKE AND AN ALTERNATIVE
CHARGE OF WOUNDING WITH INTENT TO CAUSE GRIEVOUS BODILY HARM.

THE TRIAL CONTINUES.

ENDS.