Colchester stabbing attacker caught with knife after release from prison

Ben Goodspeed was stopped by officers in a car in Mersea Road, Colchester, on Tuesday, November 2.

The car had fled officers by going the wrong way in a one-way street.

The 22-year-old, of Monkwick Avenue, was found in possession of a blade, while on licence for a serious assault which took place Osborne Street, Colchester, in January 2018.

Goodspeed and his accomplice Tate Heeney ambushed a 17-year-old boy, hiding behind a building near the town's bus station before launching their attack.

Ben Goodspeed knifed the victim in the chest as he lay defenceless on the ground and Tate Heeney smashed him on the back of the head with a wooden baton - believed to be a chair leg.

The victim was first rushed to Colchester Hospital and then a specialist unit in Basildon because of the severe injuries to his chest which included extensive nerve damage and a punctured lung.

He also lost two litres of blood.

Police launched a manhunt for the pair after the incident and directly appealed for the two of them to hand themselves in.

Read more: Teens who went on the run after town centre attack are jailed for 13 years

Goodspeed admitted wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and was jailed for seven years in November of that year.

On Thursday, November 4, he admitted the knife offence at Colchester Magistrates’ Court and was jailed for 18 weeks.

Sergeant Lee Palmer, of Essex Police's North Disruptor Team, said: “Goodspeed committed this offence whilst out on licence for a serious offence.

“Thankfully, my officers decided to stop the car he was in, which has resulted in a knife being taken off the streets of Colchester.

“Within two days, he was in front of the court and was handed another prison sentence.

“Rest assured that successful stops such as this are just one of the many duties that my team carries out across the north of the county to keep our communities safe.”