Man jailed for nearly a decade after launching 'horrific' homophobic attack in Peterborough

A man who carried out a “horrific” homophobic attack alongside a teenage boy has been jailed for almost a decade.

Lee Norwell, 42, made homophobic remarks toward his 45-year-old victim on 6 August last year, before launching into an attack alongside his 17-year-old accomplice.

Norwell held a machete to his victim’s throat, and fractured his skull in the brutal assault.

Now Norwell has been locked up for nine years at Cambridge Crown Court, Cambridgeshire Police revealed on 8 August.

The court heard how the victim had gone to buy drugs in Stanground in the early hours of the morning when Norwell began hurtling the abuse, before both he and the teenager made demands for the victim’s money, phone and wallet.

After the man hesitated, Norwell began punching him to the head and ordered him to remove his clothes.

Norwell then dragged the half-naked man to another room and tried to set fire to his hair while the teenager shouted “I will f*** you up of you don’t give me the PIN”, before taking a machete from his trousers and holding it against the man’s throat.

He then punched him to the face several times while wearing a knuckleduster, fracturing the man’s skull and causing it to cave in.

After about 20 minutes, the pair stopped the attack but were heard to talk about stabbing him, cutting his fingers off and setting him on fire, while the man managed to escape and flag down a member of the public who called an ambulance.

The pair were found guilty of robbery and assault causing grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent, following a trial at Cambridge Crown Court in May this year.

They appeared at the same court on Wednesday (3 August) where Norwell was sentenced to nine years in prison, while the teenager was jailed for four years.

Detective Constable Matt Slater, who investigated, said: “This was a horrific attack on a vulnerable man, motivated in part by homophobic behaviour from Norwell.

“I hope the sentences provide the victim some reassurance that this behaviour will not be tolerated and is taken seriously by not only ourselves but also the courts.”