Jailed killer sentenced for separate knife attack which left victim needing stitches

Peter Dodds was jailed for life with a minimum of 19 years on February 12 last year after a jury found him guilty of murdering Scott Patterson in an unprovoked attack at a house party.

Mr Patterson and his girlfriend had been out celebrating the birth of their first child when they saw Dodds, who was under the influence of alcohol and cocaine and acting aggressively, at the Brierley Arms in Blyth.

The situation escalated later that night when the 36-year-old saw the couple again at a house party where he tried to goad Mr Patterson into a fight – before stabbing him in the chest and feeling the scene.

And, yesterday (May 26) the killer was brought back before a judge at Newcastle Crown Court in connection with an incident which took place on May 17, 2018 and saw Dodds slash his victim on the stomach - an injury which would require 14 stitches.

The incident had been uncovered during the course of Mr Patterson’s murder investigation and was going to be submitted as evidence of Dodds’ bad character, but, after careful consideration detectives and the Criminal Prosecution Service brought it as a separate charge.

Dodds, now at HMP Durham, initially denied causing GBH with intent and the case had been set for trial. However he changed his plea and admitted a lesser charge of wounding and inflicting GBH without intent and was sentenced to a further 18 months imprisonment.

The custodial sentence will be added to the minimum term of the life sentence he is currently serving for the murder of Mr Patterson.

Detective Superintendent Helen Anderson said: “Peter Dodds is a dangerous man who has shown he’s happy to antagonise people, and use fear and violence to get what he wants, regardless of the cost.

“It’s clear from his previous offending that our communities are safer with him behind bars. We saw during the course of his trial for the murder of Mr Patterson that Dodds went out of his way to look for a fight and even armed himself with a knife which he used in the most despicable way before dumping it and covering his tracks.”

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