"‘Cowardly and arrogant’ knife attacker sobs as he is jailed by judge"

Jordan Dowswell carried out the attack while an accomplice held his victim



When his victim stood up to him and fought back after being attacked in the street, an “arrogant” young man pulled out a knife and coolly slashed his face.

Jordan Dowswell, who had carried out the attack while an accomplice held his victim, denied being responsible – but was found guilty by a jury at Warwick Crown Court of wounding with intent.

Described by a judge as cowardly and arrogant, Dowswell, 25, of Howlette Road, Tile Hill, at the time, sobbed in the dock as he was jailed for four-and-a-half years.

Judge Anthony Potter observed that Dowswell knew his victim, a 45-year-old Polish man, and had singled him out for abuse on previous occasions.

He approached him with another, as bullies and cowards do, and sought to attack him – and when he tried to defend himself took out a knife and slashed his cheek.”

Prosecutor Ian Windridge said Dowswell and his victim Przemyslaw Mydlowski lived near each-other in Tile Hill at the time of the incident in July 2018.

The court heard that since the attack, while on bail, Dowswell had been fined for using an air rifle in a public place after being caught shooting at cans on a car park in Lillington.

Judge Potter commented that Dowswell had treated the trial “with a degree of arrogance”.

And Cath McMillan, defending, said: “You will see that Mr Dowswell does not accept his guilt. In those circumstances there is very little I can say by way of mitigation.”

Jailing Dowswell and imposing a restraining order banning him from having any contact with Mr Mydlowski, Judge Potter told him: “You and your friends in the Tile Hill area regarded him as something of a soft touch, a character you could taunt."

He added: “You, emboldened by the presence of another, as with many bullies, approached him to convert that mocking into physical mockery, and you attacked him.

“But you got more than you bargained for, because he fought back, and you retreated to the other side of the road and began to shout threats.

“You took out a knife and opened two blades and you selected one and ran at him. He was being held by your friend, and you slashed him across the cheek.

“It was a cowardly, malicious act, and then like the coward you are, you ran off.

“You regarded him with contempt. That is demonstrative of your arrogance. You arrogantly saw that area as your personal area to do what you wished, and you arrogantly conducted yourself during these proceedings.”