Woman laughed as father stabbed man ‘to the hilt’ after calling him

Conor McQuade stabbed Lewis Reed in the back and when he turned around he also stabbed him in the stomach.

A father and daughter carried out a bloody ‘revenge attack’. Charlotte McQuade, 21, was filmed laughing as her father Conor, 44, snuck up behind Lewis Reed and stabbed him repeatedly as he smoked a cigarette outside The Hub nightclub in Victoria Square, Widnes, a few hours after celebrating the New Year.

The attack, which took place around 2am on January 1, followed an allegation against Mr Reed that Charlotte McQuade made in 2020. He denied the allegation and no action was taken against him.

Conor McQuade, of Appleby Walk, Widnes, pleaded guilty to assault causing grievous bodily harm with intent and two counts of possessing a blade in a public place. Charlotte McQuade, of Lancaster Road, Widnes, denied a similar charge of assault causing grievous bodily harm with intent, but was found guilty following a trial in November.

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They appeared for sentence at Liverpool Crown Court today, where a victim impact statement was read out on behalf of Mr Reed. He said: “Since I was 16, Charlotte has made my life hell with her lies. I tried to help her at the time, refusing to leave her alone in a dangerous situation under the influence of drugs, even though she had a reputation for using drugs.

“If you listen to her, I’m a bad person. But if you know the facts, it’s easy to see that it’s her, not me, who is wrong. Conor McQuade decided to listen to his daughter and instead to ask him for the help she needed, he attacked me twice. This last time, he really wanted to kill me. I was just trying to have fun at a party, like I did. had done several times before.

The court heard that Charlotte McQuade spotted Mr Reed inside the nightclub and called her father, who armed himself with two knives and went to the scene. The two men met outside the nightclub where they planned the attack, and Charlotte McQuade was seen pointing at Mr Reed.

As Mr Reed smoked a cigarette outside the room, Conor McQuade approached him from behind and stabbed him in the back “to the hilt”. As Mr. Reed turned around, McQuade stabbed him twice in the abdomen, saying: “This is what you deserve.” »

Mr Reed was taken to Aintree Hospital with “life-threatening” injuries to his kidney and intestines. He said: “I had seen Charlotte that night and kept my distance like I always did, but unbeknownst to me she had already phoned her father to stab me, to kill me for her own benefit. Charlotte didn’t succeed in her plan but she took so much from me. My grandfather was admitted to the hospital that night and was in end of life care – I never could. say goodbye to the man who raised, I had difficulty carrying his coffin to his funeral.”

The stabbing follows another attack in August 2023, when Conor McQuade threw a punch at Mr Reed. Prosecutor Holly Menary said the father-of-two had a “plethora of convictions”, with 37 convictions for 67 offenses including burglary, theft and multiple assaults, while Charlotte McQuade had no previous convictions.

Phil Tully, defending Charlotte McQuade, said the 21-year-old suffered from mental health problems and was “vulnerable”, “highly influenced and easily led”. He said: “It is clear that she experienced many traumatic events in her childhood which led to her having to deal with mental health issues. Information from Cheshire Police reveals a long history of violence and domestic violence, physical violence and psychological violence, sexual abuse and neglect.

He said there had been 41 recorded incidents of abuse, which one officer described as “the most comprehensive story of harm I have ever documented”. He added: “It’s a sad story that this young woman has had to face, and it has led to serious mental health problems. Despite this, she has a completely different side. She managed to achieve five GCSEs . She has a good job record and there is clearly a different side to her: someone who is diligent, hard-working.”

Michael Scholes, defending Conor McQuade, said: “It is accepted that Conor McQuade was under the influence of alcohol and drugs at the time and while that may explain the way he behaved, it must accept that this is an aggravating circumstance.

“The only points that can be made, aside from his guilty plea and remorse, are: To my knowledge, none of the defendant’s prior convictions involve weapons.” He added that McQuade had made “substantial efforts” to combat his addiction to alcohol and drugs while awaiting sentence at HMP Altcourse.

Sentencing the father and daughter, Judge Garrett Byrne said: “Since 2020, you both had a deep-seated grudge against Lewis Reed and believed the justice system had failed you. You demonstrated your willingness to take justice into your own hands, because in August 2023, Conor McQuade attacked Lewis Reed. On this occasion, you, Charlotte McQuade, admitted to participating in this attack by arranging for your father to attack her.

“On New Year’s Day 2024, you both had another opportunity to attack Mr. Reed at the Hub. You (Charlotte) alerted your father to Mr. Reed’s whereabouts with the intention that he was present, knowing full well that your father would attack him, and in doing so Mr. Reed suffered very serious injuries.

“At 2 a.m. Mr. Reed was outside smoking and you, Conor McQuade, slipped up behind him, a knife in each hand, and stabbed him in the back. It was violent, it was was deep – to the hilt – it was loose, it was brutal.

“As Mr Reed turned around, you stabbed him twice in the abdomen, telling him ‘this is what you deserve’. You, Charlotte, can be seen on the CCTV laughing.”

Conor McQuade was sentenced to six years in prison, plus a further two years on licence, and Charlotte McQuade was sentenced to five years in prison. The judge also issued a restraining order prohibiting the two men from contacting Lewis Reed.