Man jailed for life after Travelodge knife attack

A man who repeatedly stabbed an "obviously vulnerable" man in a Travelodge hotel room has been jailed for life.

Danny Lodge, 25, attacked the victim at the hotel at Springfields Outlet Centre in Spalding, Lincolnshire, where Lodge's partner Leanne Thornton, 43, was living.

Lodge, of Bishops Way, London, pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent, perverting the course of justice and assaulting an emergency worker while Thornton, of Low Gate, Gosberton, admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm and assaulting an emergency worker.

At Lincoln Crown Court Lodge was sentenced to life imprisonment, while Thornton was jailed for two years and nine months.

Passing a life sentence on Lodge, Judge Simon Hirst said the nature of the offence and his disclosures while on remand in prison gave him no doubt that Lodge was a dangerous offender.

"You have repeatedly told professionals and this court that you wish to kill someone," Hirst said.

The court heard Lodge and Thornton met the victim, who is autistic and has ADHD and learning difficulties, outside Wetherspoons in Spalding at about 18:00 BST on 24 June.

All three returned to Thornton's room at about 19:30 where the couple became aggressive after they smoked crack cocaine and drank alcohol.

Lodge produced a knife and stabbed the victim in the thigh before pinning him on a bed and stabbing him a second time to his chin. A third stab wound was inflicted to the victim's back.

The court was told Thornton threw boiling water at the victim before repeatedly punching him in the head.

He was then taken to a nearby river by the couple and pushed into the water by Lodge.

Police were alerted after the victim clambered out of the river.

When officers arrived at Thornton's room, the couple had made efforts to clean up and change their clothes, the court heard.

Both defendants became aggressive and assaulted officers while they were detained, and made no comment during interview.

Both defendants had criminal records, with Lodge having 44 convictions for 121 offences and Thornton in breach of a previous suspended sentence.

In a statement, which was read out in court, the victim described how he now felt "timid" and reluctant to go out in Spalding.

Hirst told the court: "He is obviously vulnerable because of his autism, ADHD and learning difficulties."

Nick Bleaney, mitigating for Lodge, said he wished to be sentenced and appreciated he faced the possibility of a life term.

Michael Cranmer-Brown, mitigating for Thornton, said no harm was caused to the victim by the boiling water, and he suffered no life-threatening injuries.

Lodge will serve a minimum term of six and a half years in jail before he is eligible to apply for parole. Hirst said this would not mean his automatic release and he would remain on licence.

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