Tiptree: Man sentenced to more than 13 years after daylight attack

A violent offender has been sentenced after stabbing a man in the neck in broad daylight.

At around 3.15pm on Tuesday 11 July 2023, John Garrett entered the Shell garage in Tiptree’s Maypole Road.

He took two bottles of alcohol from the shelf of the shop and threatened the staff before leaving and heading towards a bus stop in the village, next to Windmill Green.

There, 55-year-old Garrett approached two men and a woman at the bus stop.

He was seen arguing with one of the men in the group, before he stabbed them in the neck three times and left him in a life-threatening condition as paramedics rushed to the scene.

Six people witnessed the violent attack, with Garrett fleeing the scene and returning to his address in Walnut Tree Way.

Officers arrested Garrett at his home shortly after the attack, with more than a dozen officers working rapidly to collect the evidence required to ensure the Crown Prosecution Service agreed to charge him with attempted murder and robbery.

Remanded in custody, Garrett appeared at Chelmsford Crown court on Monday 18 March and pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent and robbery, which was accepted by the CPS.

He was sentenced to 13 years and six months in prison at the same court today, Thursday 6 June.

'No choice but to plead guilty'

Detective Kayleigh Jackson, who built the case against Garrett, said:

“This horrendous attack took place in the middle of the day. Children leaving the nearby school witnessed this attack and the aftermath as emergency services worked to save a man’s life.
“The sheer number of witnesses that saw this assault with their own eyes left Garrett with no choice other than pleading guilty to GBH with intent.
“This is a substantial and necessary custodial sentence. Garrett is a dangerous individual content to use potentially deadly violence.
“While we are sure this was a distressing incident for the community affected and those nearby at the time, we are confident and thankful this was an isolated incident.”

The guilty plea was secured thanks to the hard work of officers in our local policing team, as well as our criminal investigations department and serious crime directorate.

DC Jackson added:

“The wealth of work and evidence required to secure this conviction can’t be underestimated.
“It takes hundreds of officer hours to make sure offenders like Garrett see justice.
“Results like this are what the victims of these incidents deserve to see, so I hope this sentence brings them some comfort.”

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