'I thought I was going to die': Victim speaks after Brownhills knifeman's rampage left him fighting for his life
The target of a drug crazed knifeman, who went on a two hour murderous rampage in a failed bid to find him, confessed today: "I feel very guilty about what happened."
Renroy Johnson left bloodshed in his wake as he injured eight people, two of them seriously, staged two robberies, threatened police with a knife and crashed into an ambulance in a stolen car as he ran amok just yards from his Tamar Close, Brownhills home.
Police had to Taser the 33-year-old knifeman twice before they could arrest him. He then announced: "I wanted David Winfield. He was the one I wanted to kill."
But Johnson - jailed for 18 years at Wolverhampton Crown Court this week - ended up almost killing 28-year-old Liam Leighton whose father Kevin was seriously injured by the attacker after the knifeman burst into their flat looking for Mr Winfield.
The 39-year-old, who arrived at the scene to find the two men lying close to death on the ground outside their flat, explained: "It is terrible to see two friends like that but it is even worse when you discover that their attacker was looking for you.
"They took the blade for me and none of us understand why he wanted to attack me. I know him but have no idea why he should have wanted to pick on me.
"All I ever did was to lend him money."
Liam, who has moved out of the Tamar Close flat where he and his father were repeatedly stabbed but still lives in Brownhills, said: "Dave and I have always been friends but he has needed a lot of reassurance that neither my Dad nor I blame him in any way for what happened to us - and we never will.
"If anything this has brought us closer together. None of us can make any sense of what happened. Dave had done nothing wrong. The only person to blame is Johnson.
"I don't think I got justice. I am disappointed by the sentence because he will be out in nine years. Too many people are being stabbed and the judges should be allowed to hand out longer sentences to those who are responsible.
"The only way to end the madness is to make examples of them and lock them away for a very long time. Then people will start thinking twice before taking a knife with them when they leave home."
Liam, who was repeatedly knifed in the stomach, head, face and shoulder before managing to escape from the flat, revealed: "I thought I was going to die. My Dad was taken to hospital first and before he was taken away I told him that I loved him because I did not think I would survive."
He spent weeks in hospital after the attack which took place on October 30 2016. He disclosed: "I have got scars all over my body which means I cannot take my niece and nephew swimming because it would upset the other children.
"I can't work because the wounds have left me with a serious bowel complaint. My friends understand and give me a lot of support but that kind of problem knocks your self esteem.
"The attack has changed my life but my dad and I were not the only ones to suffer at the hands of Johnson. He assaulted several other people."
His father, who was repeatedly stabbed in the chest until he escaped from the flat by jumping out of a first floor window, breaking a bone in his back. Liam concluded: "He just wants to be left alone so he can try and forget all about it."
Johnson pleaded guilty to attempting to murder Liam Leighton, wounding Kevin Leighton with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, assaulting three other people, robbing a shop keeper of £540, robbing a woman of car keys and a motor vehicle, dangerous driving, affray and possession of a knife.
It had originally thought he would be detained in a secure hospital but by the time a bed was found a psychiatric had decided the defendant was fit enough to be sent to prison.
He was jailed by Judge Michael Challinor who told him: "You left behind a scene of devastation, people hurt and confused after what can only be called a murderous rampage."
