
Man issued chilling threat to nan before launching crossbow 'revenge attack'
A man issued a chilling threat to a grandma before carrying out a "revenge attack" with a crossbow, which saw him fire on her house while her grandchildren were inside.
The 'very dangerous' weapon was used by Neil Spencer, who shot five times at the property. Some of the bolts were shot directly at the grandmother and one of her daughters. Spencer carried out his act in retaliation for his own children having apparently been bullied. One of the victims says she "still repeats in her head what could have happened if the bolt hit her". Spencer, meanwhile, is said to have been left "disappointed and ashamed" over his "misguided and stupid enterprise".
Spencer admitted making threats with an offensive weapon, which was never recovered by police, and two counts of criminal damage. Appearing via video link to HMP Liverpool wearing a grey Montirex t-shirt, he was jailed for 18 months and handed an indefinite restraining order.
Liverpool Crown Court heard that Spencer had attended the home of Laura Connor, where she lived with her two daughters and son, on Madryn Avenue in Kirkby, Merseyside, around two weeks earlier on May 20 this year. On this occasion, the 43-year-old, of Eastfield Walk, was said to have threatened in relation to the son: "Tell him if he comes round to my ex bird's house, I'll come round with my mates."
Nardeen Nemat, prosecuting, described how all four occupants were then present at the same address at the time of the subsequent "revenge attack" along with Ms Connor's grandchildren, who were aged as young as four. Spencer returned to the property at around 8.30am on June 1 wearing a balaclava and armed with a crossbow shouting: "Grass, where are they?"
This led to Ms Connor replying "what the f*** are you doing?" from an upstairs bedroom. The "irate" defendant then aimed the weapon in her direction and fired it as she closed the window, with the bolt becoming lodged within the pane of glass.
Spencer followed this up with a second shot when Ms Connor reopened the window before one of her daughters, Tahlia Gill, appeared at another window and shouted "get away from my house", Liverpool Echo reports. The armed man then turned his attention to her, responding "where are they?" before firing another bow in her direction.
Another shot was then fired at the front door. When a fifth missed and landed in the front garden, Spencer jumped onto Ms Gill's car and smashed the windows. Around £600 worth of damage was caused to a Ford Fiesta.
In a statement which was read out to the court on her behalf, she said: "It was the most serious and dangerous thing to ever happen to me and my family. It left me extremely frightened and paranoid.
"I didn't deserve this. The fact that my family and I were in the house when this happened, including children, still fills me with anxiety. I still find it hard to believe I had a weapon fired at me. I still repeat in my head what could have happened if the bolt hit me.
"I also think how helpless we would have been if he had come in the house and attacked us. Me and my family are seriously affected by this. The atmosphere in the household has completely changed since this incident. No one has the right to put me and my family through this. I hope they pay for what they've done."
Sentencing, Recorder Richard Pratt KC said: "This formed what has accurately been described as some form of revenge attack as a result of a previous incident. You did not come round with your mates, but you came round with a crossbow, a very dangerous weapon capable of causing serious injury.
"You deliberately fired the crossbow on five occasions. The impact of your offending was very clearly recorded in the victim personal statement of Tahlia Gill. Having seen the footage, it is wholly unsurprising that she and other members of the household were terrified.
Tom Challinor, defending, told the court: "Mr Spencer is a man with a bad criminal record. Between the ages of 13 and 22, he was before the courts regularly. To his credit, he has put regular offending behind him.
"If one was to put aside two offences of cannabis possession, in relation to which he was fined in 2019 and 2021, there is a gap of 20 years from his last offence before the court in 2004 and an offence of battery against his ex-partner in 2024. While it is difficult to submit that he had turned over a new leaf, he had, to a large extent, put that offending behind him.
"It is for that reason that he is really disappointed and ashamed that he is back before the courts again. This is no excuse, but it is the reason why he finds himself here. The reason for the commission of these offences was due to his children being bullied. He was sensible enough to call the police but, in his view, they did nothing, so he embarked on this misguided, stupid and dangerous enterprise.
"If he is sent to prison today, he is not going to get the help that he needs. He has already served seven weeks on remand. The clang of the prison door has already had its effect. He is living in stable accommodation. If he receives a sentence of more than 12 months then he will lose his home and all of the stability that goes with it."
Sentencing, Recorder Richard Pratt KC said: "This formed what has accurately been described as some form of revenge attack as a result of a previous incident. You did not come round with your mates, but you came round with a crossbow, a very dangerous weapon capable of causing serious injury.
"You deliberately fired the crossbow on five occasions. The impact of your offending was very clearly recorded in the victim personal statement of Tahlia Gill. Having seen the footage, it is wholly unsurprising that she and other members of the household were terrified.
"You have a bad criminal record and recently committed an offence of battery, which resulted in you receiving a short custodial sentence. I cannot ignore the period of time when you remained out of trouble for a significant period of time. That was to your credit.
"The pre-sentence report does put forward an arguable case that rehabilitation may be possible, and I recognise the impact that any sentence of imprisonment may have on you and your family members. But, at the end of the day, I have to say that I regard this offence as so serious that only immediate custody is appropriate for it."

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Scottish Sun
a day ago
- Scottish Sun
Schoolboy, 13, found dead in playground had ‘hoped someone would come looking for him'
SCHOOL TRAGEDY Schoolboy, 13, found dead in playground had 'hoped someone would come looking for him' Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A SCHOOLBOY was found dead in a school playground after running away from home, an inquest heard. Connor Lee Mark, 13, was discovered in the grounds of Melin Primary School in Mile End Row, South Wales, on January 29. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up The teenager had been confronted about a missing bottle of vodka and an aerosol by his mum and stepdad the night before and he started "kicking off", then stormed out of the house without his shoes. He returned a short while later to collect them before threatening to "jump off a bridge", the inquest heard yesterday. Mum Louise Morgan and stepdad Jason Clark told police Connor had made threats like this before but he usually returned and so they didn't take it seriously. However, nonetheless Jason went out to look for him but after walking around the street eventually returned, assistant coroner Paul Bennett said. During the same evening, Louise and Jason's friends David Morrow and Amy Winslade were visiting their home and were leaving as Louise called the police to report her son missing. Moments later the couple heard Amy shriek "Connor, Connor!" David had seen the teen's body in the playground of the nearby primary school. Former lifeguard Jason attempted to give his stepson mouth to mouth resuscitation in the six minutes before paramedics arrived. However, Connor was declared dead at 3.43am on January 29, DC Danaher told the hearing. You're Not Alone EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide It doesn't discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers. It's the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes. And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women. Yet it's rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now. That is why The Sun launched the You're Not Alone campaign. The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives. Let's all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others… You're Not Alone. If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support: CALM, 0800 585 858 Heads Together, HUMEN Mind, 0300 123 3393 Papyrus, 0800 068 41 41 Samaritans, 116 123


Daily Record
2 days ago
- Daily Record
Teenage boy found dead in playground after storming out of home in row
Connor Lee Mark Slade, 13, was found dead in a school playground after a row over missing vodka and an aerosol. A 13-year-old boy who was found dead in a school playground had left his home following a row over missing vodka and an aerosol, an inquest has heard. Connor Lee Mark Slade was discovered unresponsive in the grounds of Melin Primary School in Mile End Row, Neath, in the early hours of January 29 this year, reports the Mirror. An inquest at Swansea heard the teenager had hoped someone would follow him after the argument at home but tragically, no one reached him in time. The court was told the schoolboy had no known history of suicidal thoughts or self harm, and regularly left home during arguments before calming down and returning. The inquest, which was held today, heard Connor's mum, Louise Morgan, describe her son as a "happy boy, one of the lads, a joker and leader of the pack". Despite his young age, Connor had already been excluded from several schools and had 100 police convictions, according to Detective Constable Siobhan Danaher. The hearing heard he was being supported by Neath Port Talbot social services. The hearing heard that Connor was receiving help from Neath Port Talbot social services. Connor, who was one of nine children, lived with his father Keiran Slade before moving back in with his mother in Neath aged 10. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. On the night before his death on January 28, Connor was out until around 9.30pm, but returned home in good spirits and was on his phone, WalesOnline reports. But a confrontation unfolded after his mum and stepdad, Jason Clark, noticed a bottle of vodka and an aerosol were missing. The teen "kicked off" and stormed out, even threatening to "jump off a bridge" before leaving again barefoot after coming back to grab his shoes. His family told police he had made similar threats before and had always come back, so they didn't take it seriously. But Jason went out to search for him and couldn't find him, assistant coroner Paul Bennett explained. In the early hours of January 29 the couple's friends David "Dai" Morrow and Amy Winslade, who were visiting at the time, left the house together just as Louise was ringing the police to report Connor missing. Moments later, Louise and Jason heard Amy shriek "Connor, Connor". Dai had seen Connor's body in the playground of nearby Melin Primary. Jason raced to Connor and attempted mouth to mouth resuscitation in the six minutes before paramedics arrived on the scene. Connor was declared dead shortly afterwards at 3.43am on January 29, DC Danaher told the hearing. Post mortem results showed minor traces of alcohol and cannabis, but these were not at fatal levels and did not contribute to his death. Assistant coroner David Bennett recorded a narrative verdict saying the circumstances did not point to Connor intending to take his life. The coroner said there wasn't anything on the teenager's phone to suggest he intended to end his life intentionally, adding: "History suggests Connor had a quick and violent temper, he found it hard to control. In my view this was not a deliberate act on Connor's part to end his own life. I am not satisfied Connor intended to end his life. Intent cannot be presumed, so I give a narrative conclusion. "We will never know, but I consider it likely that he had an altercation about missing aerosol and alcohol and Connor's temper got the better of him. Acting on impulse he went to the school and took the step he did thinking someone would come looking for him before it was fatal."


Glasgow Times
3 days ago
- Glasgow Times
Manchester Airport case jurors urged to ‘not be distracted' by officer's actions
Mobile phone footage of the incident on July 23 last year was shared on social media and went viral. Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 20, is on trial at Liverpool Crown Court accused of assaulting three police officers and a member of public before he was felled by a Taser strike. Greater Manchester Police officers Pc Zachary Marsden, Pc Lydia Ward and Pc Ellie Cook entered the Terminal 2 car park paystation after reports that a male fitting Amaaz's description had headbutted a member of the public inside the airport minutes earlier. The Crown says Amaaz resisted and his brother, Muhammad Amaad, 26, intervened as a 'high level of violence' was inflicted on the officers. In his closing speech to the jury on Thursday, prosecutor Paul Greaney KC said it was 'simple logic and common sense' that what happened subsequently was 'irrelevant as to why the defendants used the force they did'. He said: 'We don't shy away from that kick and stamp by Pc Marsden. However, what does that kick, what does that stamp have to do with your task? 'The defence suggest, at least as we understood it, that the kick and stamp and other aspects of the aftermath reveal that the officers were out of control from start to finish. 'We suggest from all of what you have seen and all of what you have heard from these three professional officers when they gave evidence is that you can be sure that the suggestion that they were out of control is false and wrong. 'We invite you to focus on the violence used by the defendants and not be distracted by what happened afterwards. That's what it is, a distraction and an example of an effort to try to complicate what is a simple case.' He said the claims by Amaaz that he did not realise that Pc Ward and Pc Cook were women when he struck them was a 'barefaced lie'. Pc Ward suffered a broken nose as she was floored by a punch to the face and Pc Cook was also knocked to the ground by a number of elbows and punches, the court has heard. Mr Greaney told jurors: 'Of course we know you will make fair allowance for the fast-moving and dynamic events but the suggestion he didn't know they were women cannot exist in the world we inhabit.' Mr Greaney said Amaad had 'no legitimate reason to seek to prevent the officers from carrying out their duty particularly in the circumstances where it must have been obvious his brother was resisting arrest'. His claims that he thought his brother was being choked by Pc Marsden was 'demonstrably untrue', said the prosecutor. Mr Greaney said the officers were doing what the law entitled them to do in their plan to seek to move Amaaz from the paystation area and then tell him outside he was under arrest. He said: 'What was going through their minds is we have a duty to perform and we are going to perform it. 'Conversely, what was going through the mind of the first defendant, Amaaz, was that he plainly knew that the people taking hold of him were police officers. He had just attacked a man in public in an international airport. What he did think they were there for?' Both defendants, from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, deny the allegations and say they were lawfully acting in self defence or in defence of each other. Amaaz is alleged to have assaulted Pc Marsden and Pc Ward, causing them actual bodily harm. He is also accused of the assault of emergency worker Pc Cook, and the earlier assault by beating of a member of the public, Abdulkareem Ismaeil, at a Starbucks cafe in T2 arrivals. Amaad is alleged to have assaulted Pc Marsden, causing actual bodily harm. In his closing submission, Imran Khan KC, defending Amaaz, said the incident may not have happened and 'gone viral' but for Pc Marsden. He said: 'Pc Marsden's decision-making has put his colleagues in danger. It has caused all this to happen. It could have been avoided. 'One might think that the easiest thing to have done would have been to say 'excuse me sir, would you mind stepping outside so I can have a word with you'. 'What would be wrong with that? This was not the crime of the century. 'They all three of them grab hold of parts of his body without announcing themselves, that's crazy, 'This deliberate intentional plan led to unlawful force being applied. This is a group of officers led by Pc Marsden that flouts every procedure, every rule, every law. 'Fahir was terrified for his life. That's how this started.' Mr Khan said Pc Marsden's conduct after Amaaz was felled by a Taser strike was relevant. He said: 'When it comes to the kick and stamp we say that is typical of his behaviour from the beginning. 'When Fahir is on the floor almost motionless having been tasered, he is not a threat. 'Pc Marsden sought to justify the unjustifiable. 'He kicked Fahir in the head with what you may feel was a rugby-style kick. He said it was a light kick. In what world can this be said to be a light kick?' Mr Khan told jurors it was 'plain as the nose on my face' that Pc Marsden also pushed his Taser into the face of the defendants' mother, rather than the officer's belief that Amaad accidentally struck her. He said: 'To suggest her own son did it is plumbing the depths. 'It is very clear. This is Pc Marsden out of control. That's how she got her injury. She was not a threat.' The trial continues on Friday.