Seven years’ jail for jealous ex who attacked rival with a metal bar

Leon Crossley, 49, barged his way into the property on Woodhall Croft in Stanningley and struck the man as he lay in bed, repeatedly hitting him with such force it snapped the handle of the sharpening steel.

As the stricken man struggled to escape, Crossley followed him to the landing area, struck him again to momentarily knock him unconscious, climbed on top of him and continued punching and striking him with the bar.

He was found guilty after a trial of that attack, during which he admitted his hatred towards the man.

The judge, Recorder Simon Eckersley told him: “You were motivated by revenge and hatred in your unfounded belief of what he had done against your children.

"I doubt you are, in any way, ashamed or remorseful, but you should be.

"The evidence against you was overwhelming.”

The court heard that Crossley’s long-term partner had ended their relationship in December 2020, and he found out a week later she was seeing the victim but Crossley suspected it had been going on “behind his back”.

Over the next year he began to claim the man, who would stay over at his ex partner’s where his children also lived, was somehow abusing them.

Recorder Eckersley said: “You could not stand the idea of him being there.

“Such was your resentment you reported him to social services.”

On January 10 this year, he went to the house at around 8am and from the doorbell camera footage, could be seen “lying in wait” for someone to open the front door from the inside.

When it was opened, he stormed past his children and former partner and burst into the bedroom knowing the victim would be in bed, and began striking him with the heavy knife sharpener.

Due to the amount of blood left on the bed, forensics determined that the victim’s head was either in bed or about to get up.

The first blow left a deep laceration above his eye, and he continued raining the blows down.

The victim was left with injuries to his face, head, arms and hands, including broken fingers.

Crossley, of Bennetts Close, Mitcham, London, was found guilty of Section 18 wounding.

The court was told he has a string of convictions and has served jail terms, including offences of possessing an offensive weapon and assaulting a police officer.

Defending, Eddison Flint said that Crossley, who has been held on remand, wants to apply himself in prison and work hard to become a better father to his four children.

Recorder Eckersley said would need to serve two-thirds of his sentence before being considered for parole.

He told Crossley: “This was sustained and repeated.

“You could have stopped, but you didn’t. He did not try to attack you.

“You used that violence and caused those injuries while your children were in the house.

"No loving father would do what you did in front of their children.”