'Like a horror movie' - man attacked sister's partner with machete

A man repeatedly slashed his sister's partner with a machete in his bed - leaving him for dead and covered in blood like "something from a horror movie".

The culprit's sister returned from the school run to find her partner covered in blood and thought his hand had been severed.

Lee Dainter, from Camborne, attacked his sleeping victim as he slept causing him to desperately roll from side to side in a bid to avoid the blows, a court heard.

The 35-year-old raided the family home in Ivybridge with another man to snatch valuable jewellery hidden in the loft.

His sister told the police it was "like something from a horror movie".

In a statement, the victim told Plymouth Crown Court his life had been ruined by the attack.

Dainter, formerly of Camborne, pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary.

Judge David Evans jailed him for 11 years and three months - but he may never be released because it is the third time he has attacked someone in their home with a weapon.

The judge told him: "You are no doubt an extremely dangerous man. You pose a very real risk.

"It is the sheerest chance that he did not die of his injuries."

Police have identified and are still hunting the second suspect.

'Severely injured and bleeding'

Mary McCarthy, for the Crown Prosecution Service, said Dainter was estranged from his sister, who had left to take the children to school.

Miss McCarthy said the victim was asleep in bed and his partner left the front door unlocked as she went to take the children to school.

The barrister said he woke up to two men wearing balaclavas in his bedroom - one slashing at him with a machete.

Miss McCarthy said Dainter - who admitted being the first attacker - slashed at him between five and 10 times as he shouted out and tried to roll away from the blows.

The court heard the second man then continued the assault as Dainter raided the loft, where he knew jewellery worth thousands of pounds was hidden.

The pair escaped with jewellery, including a valuable watch.

Miss McCarthy said: "They left him severely injured and bleeding. He was able to ring his partner and she called for an ambulance.

"She returned home and found him barely conscious. She said it looked like his hand had been severed from his arm.

"She said: 'It looked like something from a horror movie. I looked at his face and saw blood everywhere'."

'The pain is overwhelming'

The court heard the victim had several operations to repair damage to his leg, shoulder and arm.

Reading a statement from the victim, Miss McCarthy said his life had been 'ruined'.

He wrote: "When my weak arm gets knocked, the pain is overwhelming. I scream out, which is frightening to my children. I cannot pick them up and I cannot carry shopping."I do not go anywhere, just for essential trips. In this sense, it has ruined my life."

The court heard his scars are a constant reminder of the attack and people wearing masks due to Covid reminds him of his balaclava-clad attackers.

At the hearing the judge raised questions over why Dainter was released just over a year before the attack, having been jailed under an indeterminate sentence in 2010 for bludgeoning a man with a hammer.

Dainter was jailed for 42 months at Truro Crown Court in June after admitting malicious wounding.

He must serve at least half that sentence before his new prison term starts.

Dainter will not be considered for release until two thirds of the way through the 11-year sentence - sometime after 2030.

But he will in fact only be released when the parole board considers him no longer a risk under the 2010 indeterminate sentence for public protection, which is still in place.

Judge Evans said he considered imposing a life sentence but added it would make no practical difference