Seaham man jailed for life for random knife attack on stranger in Sunderland Bar

A Seaham man has been jailed for life after slashed a man’s throat at random on a man in a Sunderland City Centre bar.

Savage Rory Witten suddenly took a blade to Stephen Finch’s throat, neck and back for no apparent reason as he spoke to his DJ and barmaid friends in Sunderland.

Newcastle Crown Court heard the pair had never met or spoken before the savage attack. Witten, 41, of Stavordal Street, Seaham, County Durham, was found guilty of attempted murder and having a bladed article after a trial earlier this year.

Now Witten, who was found to have written a prayer to “Lord Satan” and has a mental disorder which means he has a paranoid belief he is being controlled and abused by a group called “The outfit”, has been given a life sentence with a hospital order which means he will be held at a secure hospital unless he becomes well enough to be moved to prison within the minimum term of the life sentence, which is 13 years and eight months.

Justice Morris said he presents a serious risk of harm to the public, adding: “It was a vicious and wholly unprovoked attack for which no explanation has been offered. He was extremely lucky to have survived and only did so because of prompt and effective surgery.

“He was subjected to a shocking, life-threatening attack. This was an offence of substantial gravity.”

In a statement, Mr Finch said the attack had a significant impact on him and he was still in pain nine months later. He said his immune system was having to rebuild itself and has made his mild cerebral palsy worse.

He added: “He stabbed me coming up behind me and in the beginning I had flashbacks to someone coming up behind me and stabbing me. Even now I’m still wary, especially in busy public places.

“I always keep and eye on people and often feel on edge. I fear it will happen again.

“This has had a massive effect on my social life. I feel I live like a hermit sometimes. I’ve been told I have PTSD and this means I get angry very quickly.

“I was always a happy person but I now have depression and need to take medication and I don’t want to be on them long term.

“Before this I was active and an avid cyclist and always outside. I now get tired very easily and can’t breathe very well because of my lung problems and can’t cycle far. I also struggle to lift things with my right arm.

“I’m a self-employed DJ and for months I couldn’t work because I couldn’t lift my equipment. I’m now working reduced hours.”

He added: “Rory Witten is a huge danger to the public. It frightens me to think he could have murdered several people that day. I would have been dead but for the brave actions of my friend and the medical staff.”

It was on February 13 this year, having been at a series of bars in Seaham and Sunderland, that Witten went to Bar Bloo, in Sunderland. Shortly before 8pm that evening he stood at the bar next to Mr Finch.

He had never met or spoken to him before but, without warning, took a knife from his jacket and then approached Mr Finch and slashed him across the throat and stabbed him to the back of the neck and the back.

In a video recorded interview with police, Mr Finch, 48, said he had gone to the bar to see his friend, who was a DJ there and was talking to him and a barmaid, who he is friends with. He said: “I thought nothing of this person standing to the other of me, I didn’t really take much notice. When they went behind me I thought he was just going to the toilet and then he came to the side of me and I just felt like a nudge in my neck.

“I thought nothing of it, I thought it was just messing about. Then I got another nudge then two more nudges to my neck as well. I must have gone off balance and hit the floor then I felt a few more nudges, I don’t know where they landed.

“I didn’t even realise I had been stabbed or injured until I heard my friend shout ‘He’s got a blade’. I went to move and and seen what I thought was a drink on the floor and it turned out it was my blood and I suddenly went cold.”

He added: “Then I realised what had happened. It could’ve had something to do with the big pool of blood around me.” Mr Finch said there had been no words exchanged or problem between him and his attacker. He said: “He didn’t say a word, not a single peep was said.

“When I saw the pool of blood I thought it’s something serious this.”