Pair responsible for homophobic knife attack jailed for combined total of 23 years
By Will Stroude
Two men in Nottingham have been jailed today (November 17) for a combined 23 years after a homophobic knife attack left a man fearing for his life, ITV reports.
Ashley Deavin and Ryan Leverton, both 23, attacked a 51-year-old man and shouted homophobic abuse at him after they arrived at his flat in Nottingham on May 3 this year. The man was left with slash marks to his body, head and hands.
The court heard that the victim “thought he was going to die,” before he was able to escape from the flat and get help from a member of the public. He said the attack was unprovoked, and believed it to be due to his sexual orientation.
Leverton was jailed for eight years after being found guilty of robbery and one count of wounding with intent, while Deavin faces 15 years behind bars after being found guilty of robbery and two counts of wounding with intent.
Detective sergeant Sharon Powar said: “We’re pleased with these sentences which show just how committed we are to taking hate crimes seriously.
“The victim in this case showed immense bravery in coming forward and we’d encourage anyone affected by hate crime to contact us without hesitation.”