Bloody knife attacker dead as dad who helped him is jailed

Paul Cave, who launched a vicious attack on Paul Gill in Worcester, was facing charges of attempted murder and grievous bodily harm with intent (section 18) after stabbing his victim multiple times but died before he could face justice.

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However, it was 42-year-old Lee Raymond, the man who assisted Cave by calling him a taxi and trying to divert police away from his home in Borrowdale Drive in Warndon, Worcester, who ended up behind bars.

JAILED: Lee Raymond. Photo: West Mercia Police

Sobbing could be heard in the public gallery as Raymond was jailed for eight months for assisting an offender at Worcester Crown Court on Friday. Cave, aged 48 at the time of the attack, died on January 22 last year before he could be dealt with for the stabbing in Nash's Passage, off New Street, in Worcester city centre on September 20, 2019.

The victim is understood to have recovered from his injuries.

CONCERN: Police maintain the cordon at the junction of New Street and Charles Street in Worcester city centre in the aftermath of the stabbing in September 2019.

William Dudley, prosecuting, said there had been a dispute between Mr Gill and Cave. "Mr Gill thought Mr Cave had been threatening his nan and Mr Gill arrived at the flat," the barrister said.

Mr Gill went upstairs to Cave's flat. "An altercation took place whereby Paul Cave was said to have stabbed Mr Gill multiple times in the back, shoulder and head.

"Paul Cave ran from the flat across the main City Walls Road and witnesses in the area reported seeing a man with a large kitchen knife.

"This defendant (Raymond) called a taxi from Blue Star Taxis at about 6.10pm on that day" said Mr Dudley.

SCENE: Tape protects the crime scene in September 2019.

The taxi picked up both Cave and Raymond from Dent Close which the prosecution said was about 300 metres from Cave's then flat. Initially, the taxi driver was told to go to Cranham Drive in Warndon but was later told to go to Borrowdale Drive in Warndon which was where Raymond lived.

Raymond urged Cave by text message to check the Worcester News because it contained details about the attack. He wrote: "Look in the Worcester News xxx."

Mr Dudley added: "The Crown say that suggests that this defendant had, by then, a good idea as to what was going on. He knew police were looking for Paul Cave."

In October 2019, police received intelligence that Cave may be at Raymond's address in Borrowdale Drive and officers knocked on his door.

Mr Dudley added: "It takes him some time to open the front door. When he did he told police that only his children were present in the address."

However, a short time later Cave was found 'hiding in the loft'. To begin with Raymond answered 'no comment' to police in interview but later said he had been out to buy drugs and had been unaware Cave was in his house.

Raymond was described as having a lengthy criminal history including for offences of dishonesty and possession of drugs. The prosecution said the maximum sentence available to the court for assisting an offender was one of seven years in prison because of the serious nature of the principal offence (attempted murder).

The judge later laid these previous convictions out in more detail - 42 convictions for 124 offences including burglary, assault and violent disorder.

Martin Butterworth, defending, asked that the custodial sentence be suspended, arguing that there was a realistic prospect of rehabilitation and pointing out periods of 'abstinence from offending' in his client's past.

"He has demonstrated a remarkable ability to change his life" said Mr Butterworth of the father-of-two. He explained that the death of Raymond's partner was when he relapsed into drug use.

Judge Nicholas Cole, sentencing, said in calling the taxi Raymond would have had some knowledge there had been violence 'but not necessarily the extent of the violence'.

He added: "You accept that you knew that there was some violence because you saw blood and heard the sounds of a violent struggle. That violence was severe. Paul Cave had stabbed the victim a number of times."

Judge Cole said only an immediate custodial sentence was appropriate and spoke of the importance of deterrence when sentencing offences of this nature.

"Those who assist offenders knowing that an offence has been committed strike at the root of the justice system. By encouraging and assisting the offender to leave the scene of the crime it makes it more likely that they will not be apprehended and evidence will be lost," he said.

Raymond was told he can expect to serve half the eight months in custody and half in the community on licence.