Man issued chilling threat to nan before launching crossbow 'revenge attack'

A man issued a chilling threat to a grandma before carrying out a "revenge attack" with a crossbow, which saw him fire on her house while her grandchildren were inside.

The “very dangerous” weapon was used by Neil Spencer, who shot five times at the property. Some of the bolts were shot directly at the grandmother and one of her daughters. Spencer carried out his act in retaliation for his own children having apparently been bullied. One of the victims says she "still repeats in her head what could have happened if the bolt hit her". Spencer, meanwhile, is said to have been left "disappointed and ashamed" over his "misguided and stupid enterprise".

Spencer admitted making threats with an offensive weapon, which was never recovered by police, and two counts of criminal damage. Appearing via video link to HMP Liverpool wearing a grey Montirex t-shirt, he was jailed for 18 months and handed an indefinite restraining order.

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Liverpool Crown Court heard that Spencer had attended the home of Laura Connor, where she lived with her two daughters and son, on Madryn Avenue in Kirkby, Merseyside, around two weeks earlier on May 20 this year. On this occasion, the 43-year-old, of Eastfield Walk, was said to have threatened in relation to the son: "Tell him if he comes round to my ex bird's house, I'll come round with my mates."

Nardeen Nemat, prosecuting, described how all four occupants were then present at the same address at the time of the subsequent "revenge attack" along with Ms Connor's grandchildren, who were aged as young as four. Spencer returned to the property at around 8.30am on June 1 wearing a balaclava and armed with a crossbow shouting: "Grass, where are they?"

This led to Ms Connor replying "what the f*** are you doing?" from an upstairs bedroom. The "irate" defendant then aimed the weapon in her direction and fired it as she closed the window, with the bolt becoming lodged within the pane of glass.

Spencer followed this up with a second shot when Ms Connor reopened the window before one of her daughters, Tahlia Gill, appeared at another window and shouted "get away from my house", Liverpool Echo reports. The armed man then turned his attention to her, responding "where are they?" before firing another bow in her direction.

Another shot was then fired at the front door. When a fifth missed and landed in the front garden, Spencer jumped onto Ms Gill’s car and smashed the windows. Around £600 worth of damage was caused to a Ford Fiesta.

In a statement which was read out to the court on her behalf, she said: "It was the most serious and dangerous thing to ever happen to me and my family. It left me extremely frightened and paranoid.

"I didn't deserve this. The fact that my family and I were in the house when this happened, including children, still fills me with anxiety. I still find it hard to believe I had a weapon fired at me. I still repeat in my head what could have happened if the bolt hit me.

"I also think how helpless we would have been if he had come in the house and attacked us. Me and my family are seriously affected by this. The atmosphere in the household has completely changed since this incident. No one has the right to put me and my family through this. I hope they pay for what they've done."

Sentencing, Recorder Richard Pratt KC said: "This formed what has accurately been described as some form of revenge attack as a result of a previous incident. You did not come round with your mates, but you came round with a crossbow, a very dangerous weapon capable of causing serious injury.

"You deliberately fired the crossbow on five occasions. The impact of your offending was very clearly recorded in the victim personal statement of Tahlia Gill. Having seen the footage, it is wholly unsurprising that she and other members of the household were terrified.

Tom Challinor, defending, told the court: "Mr Spencer is a man with a bad criminal record. Between the ages of 13 and 22, he was before the courts regularly. To his credit, he has put regular offending behind him.

"If one was to put aside two offences of cannabis possession, in relation to which he was fined in 2019 and 2021, there is a gap of 20 years from his last offence before the court in 2004 and an offence of battery against his ex-partner in 2024. While it is difficult to submit that he had turned over a new leaf, he had, to a large extent, put that offending behind him.

"It is for that reason that he is really disappointed and ashamed that he is back before the courts again. This is no excuse, but it is the reason why he finds himself here. The reason for the commission of these offences was due to his children being bullied. He was sensible enough to call the police but, in his view, they did nothing, so he embarked on this misguided, stupid and dangerous enterprise.

"If he is sent to prison today, he is not going to get the help that he needs. He has already served seven weeks on remand. The clang of the prison door has already had its effect. He is living in stable accommodation. If he receives a sentence of more than 12 months then he will lose his home and all of the stability that goes with it."

Sentencing, Recorder Richard Pratt KC said: "This formed what has accurately been described as some form of revenge attack as a result of a previous incident. You did not come round with your mates, but you came round with a crossbow, a very dangerous weapon capable of causing serious injury.

"You deliberately fired the crossbow on five occasions. The impact of your offending was very clearly recorded in the victim personal statement of Tahlia Gill. Having seen the footage, it is wholly unsurprising that she and other members of the household were terrified.

"You have a bad criminal record and recently committed an offence of battery, which resulted in you receiving a short custodial sentence. I cannot ignore the period of time when you remained out of trouble for a significant period of time. That was to your credit.

"The pre-sentence report does put forward an arguable case that rehabilitation may be possible, and I recognise the impact that any sentence of imprisonment may have on you and your family members. But, at the end of the day, I have to say that I regard this offence as so serious that only immediate custody is appropriate for it."