Knifeman jailed for frenzied attack on bus-stop pensioner

David Walters, 23, was given an indeterminate sentence with a minimum of seven years in prison at Manchester Crown Court after pleading guilty to attempted murder.

The court heard that Walters, of Vixen Close, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester, stabbed 75-year-old Maria Morrison several times with a knife at a bus stop in Arrowfield Road last December as he screamed “Die! Die!”.

Police identified him after an officer who was monitoring CCTV cameras saw a man carrying a knife stop and spit near the crime scene.

The officer radioed colleagues and directed them to the spot where the spit was, allowing forensic police to recover DNA evidence which provided a match with Walters.

The court heard Walters carried out the attack while in a jealous “rage”.

Tim Greenald, prosecuting, said Walters, who was on licence for attacking a prison officer at the time, had left his house with a 10-12 inch knife after a Facebook spat with his then girlfriend and his cousin, Anthony Wilks.

Walters was heading for Mr Wilks’s address but came across Mrs Morrison, 74 at the time, near a bus stop.

CCTV footage showed that his random attack on her lasted for 47 seconds. She received at least six wounds and was left with part of her lip hanging off and unconscious.

A passing motorist helped Mrs Morrison and she spent more than a week in hospital.

Originally from Spain, Mrs Morrison moved to Britain in 1962 and altered dresses for a living before she retired.

Yesterday, she described finding a “strength” she did not know she had during the attack.

Describing her feeling during the attack, she said: “I thought it was the end. He kept screaming ‘die, die, die’. It happened so quick, within two minutes.”

Michael Lavery, defending Walters, said his client recognised the s“disgrace” he had brought upon himself.