Screwdriver-wielding enforcer attacked man in Wakefield cocaine feud
He jammed the weapon into the man’s ear during dispute
A thug tried to attack a man with a screwdriver during a feud over drugs.
Terry Capstick was acting an enforcer for a drug dealer who thought he had given a customer too much cocaine, and wanted it back.
Initially charged with Section 18 GBH with intent, Capstick later admitted Section 20 GBH without intent, which was accepted by the Crown.
The 37-year-old appeared at Leeds Crown Court this week over a video link from HMP Leeds, where he was being held on remand.
The victim called the dealer on the evening of August 12 last year who agreed to meet and sell him £60 worth of cocaine.
He bought the drugs and took a taxi home to Upton.
But a short time later, the dealer turned up at his door and told him he had given him too much cocaine - about seven grammes - and demanded it back.
Capstick was with the dealer and demanding the “gear” back.
They all drove to another house to weigh the bag he was sold, and it came to 0.65 grammes.
They all got back in the car and Capstick then pulled out the screwdriver and put it in the man’s ear, threatening to stab him in the eye unless he handed over the rest of the drugs.
Seizing his opportunity, the man got out and ran, pursued by Capstick and the dealer.
The victim tried to grab the screwdriver from Capstick and he was pulled to the floor, where he was repeatedly kicked and punched to his head.
They only relented when a member of the public shouted at them.
Capstick, of Clover Way, South Elmsall, has 20 previous convictions, including four for violence.
In a probation report into Capstick, they told them he “could not believe he got involved” that night.
He had only been buying drugs from the dealer himself that night and agreed to accompany him to retrieve what they thought were missing drugs.
The probation officer said drugs and alcohol had been an issue in Capstick’s life “for a long time” but having been locked up on remand for seven months, he was now clean.
Mitigating, Craig Sutcliffe said: “He got involved in something he should not have done.”
Judge Richard Mansell KC gave him a 24-month sentence, suspended for 24 months.
He ordered him to complete 25 rehabilitation days and a 120-day alcohol monitoring requirement in which he will be fitted with an ankle tag that can detect the tiniest drop of alcohol in his bloodstream.
The court heard that the drug dealer was still at large.