A violent duo dished out a bloody attack on a pair

A violent duo dished out a bloody attack on a pair of strangers
who tried to retrieve a 13-year-old schoolgirl from their home, a
court heard today
(Thurs).

Taxi driver Michael Wakefield, 31, and close friend Stephen
Imberski,
(correct) 40, were badly injured after they were set upon by alleged
aggressers Darren Griffiths and John Barry.

A jury were told how Griffiths, 22, and Barry, 17, armed
themselves with an array of weapons including a saucepan, a dustbin
lid, a knife and a block of wood.

Griffiths, of Armstead Walk, and Barry, of New Road, both
Dagenham, Essex, deny affray late on December 30 last year.

Griffiths alone has pleaded not guilty to wounding Mr Wakefield
with intent to cause him grievous bodily harm and an alternative
lesser charge.

Snaresbrook Crown Court heard how during the evening of the
incident Mr Wakefield was celebrating his wife’s birthday.

The couple ended up in the Dagenham Working Men’s Club in Broad
Street where Mr Wakefield met up with Mr Imberski, said Mr Martin
Binning, prosecuting.

Counsel explained that they became aware of that a woman there,
Miss Jackie Hussain, was upset and crying.

‘The reason for her concern was that her young daughter was at a
house nearby.

‘Both the men agreed to accompany her there,’ continued Mr
Binning.

They stood on the pavement outside Griffiths’s home in Armstead
Walk while Miss Hussein received verbal abuse after asking for her
young teenage daughter Simone to come out.

The two men were then greeted with – ‘who the f*** are these two’
– and when Mr Wakefield tried to push his way in Griffiths responded
by grabbing a saucepan and hitting him over the head twice with it.

‘While he was on the ground he recalled being kicked,’ said Mr
Binning.

The Crown claim that Griffiths then started wielding a
dustbin lid when Mr Imberski became involved.

And by the time Mr Wakefield got to his feet Griffiths allegedly
took a knife and stabbed him in the chest.

‘Fortunately the wound was not deep in the sense that it did not
penetrate any vital organ,’ continued counsel.

During the melee someone could be heard shouting ‘stab the
bastard,’ the jury were told.

Mr Wakefield, who could hardly see because of blood in his eyes,
was chased into a cul-de-sac and when he ran back towards the house
Barry allegedly struck him on the shoulder with a heavy piece of wood.

When he tried to defend himself he received further blows with
the saucepan.

‘Mr Imberski was struck with the piece of wood by someone and
blacked out – he had a fractured skull,’ added Mr Binning.

Luckily police arrived minutes later and arrested Barry who was
allegedly still carrying the wooden block while his jeans were seen to
be covered in blood.

Griffiths could not account for similar stains on his own
clothing, the court was told.

During police interviews the pair claimed that the aggression had
been started by Mr Wakefield and Mr Imberski when they came round to
the house.

Griffiths allegedly admitted using a saucepan during the fracas
but denied using a knife.

The jury heard how Mr Wakefield was taken to the Oldchurch
Hospital where he received stitches to lacerations including the stab
wound to his chest.

Mr Imberski also received medical treatment in relation to his
skull fracture as well as further cuts and grazes.

The trial continues tomorrow (Fri).

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