Man jailed for slitting another man's throat: Manchester Crown Court
(M23 - Tuesday, 16 November, 2010)

A man has been jailed for slitting another man's throat.

Mark Barry Barwick Coulburn 29/9/1988 of Colshaw Road, Newall Green admitted Section 18 Assault (wounding with intent), Section 47 Assault and possession of a bladed article at Manchester Crown Court Crown Square.

He was today, Tuesday 16 November 2010, given an indeterminate sentence for public protection (IPP) and ordered to serve a minimum of six years and five months in jail.

On Friday 4 June 2010, the victim, aged 23, had spent the day drinking with friends next to the canal in Ashton-under-Lyne.

At about 6.30pm that day Coulbourn joined the group.

The victim and defendant did not know each other.

Coulburn told the victim how he had previously been in prison for stabbing someone and showed him a Stanley knife he had concealed in his sleeve.

At about 7.30pm the victim invited the group back to his and went to a nearby supermarket to buy more alcohol.

As he approached the subway next to the Asda car park he heard a commotion and asked Coulburn what was happening.

Coulburn then approached him and slit his throat.

The man suffered a 6in cut across his Adam's apple that required more than 100 internal stitches and 20 external stitches to close.

The cut missed his carotid artery by 2mm.

Moments before this incident Coulburn urinated on a man cycling through the subway.

When the man got off his bike Coulburn assaulted him, leaving him with cuts and bruises.

Detective Constable Martyn Kendall, of Tameside CID, said:

"The victim thought he was going to die and given the nature of his injuries it is fortunate he didn't.

"This was an unprovoked attack and the level of violence used was utterly shocking.

"Moments before slitting the man's throat he urinated and assaulted another man for no reason other than he is a violent lout.

"Coulburn is clearly an extremely dangerous man and I am pleased he will now spend many years behind bars where he can no longer pose a threat to the public."

Police Force: Greater Manchester

Address:
Colshaw Road
Newall Green
Manchester
Lancashire
M23