A dad and daughter carried out a bloody revenge on a man outside a nightclub at New Year.
Charlotte McQuade, 21, was caught on CCTV laughing as her dad Conor, 44, crept up behind Lewis Reed and repeatedly stabbed him as he smoked a cigarette outside The Hub nightclub hours after celebrating the New Year.
The attack took place at around 2am on January 1, following an allegation against Mr Reed that Charlotte McQuade had made back in 2020. He denied this and no action was taken against him.
Conor McQuade, of Appleby Walk pleaded guilty to assault causing grievous bodily harm with intent and two counts of possession of a blade in a public place. Charlotte McQuade, of Lancaster Road denied a similar charge of assault causing grievous bodily harm with intent, but was found guilty following a trial in November, reports the ECHO.
They appeared for sentence at Liverpool Crown Court today, Monday, December 16, where a victim statement was read out on Mr Reed’s behalf. It said: “Since I was 16 Charlotte has made my life a living hell with her lies. I tried to help her back then, refusing to leave her alone in a dangerous situation under the influence of drugs, despite her having a reputation for using drugs.
“If you listen to her, I’m a bad person, But if you know the facts, it’s easy to see it’s her, not me, in the wrong. Conor McQuade decided to listen to his daughter and instead of getting her the help she needed, twice he attacked me. This last time, he really wanted to kill me. I was simply trying to enjoy myself on a night out as I had many times before.”
The court heard how Charlotte McQuade had spotted Mr Reed inside the nightclub and called her dad, who armed himself with two knives and made his way there. They met outside the nightclub where they plotted the attack, and Charlotte McQuade was seen to point out Mr Reed.
As Mr Reed smoked outside the venue, the dad approached him from behind and stabbed him in the back “down to the hilt”. As Mr Reed turned around, McQuade stabbed him two more times in the abdomen, saying: “This is what you deserve.”
Mr Reed was rushed to Aintree Hospital with “life-threatening” injuries to his kidneys and bowel. He said: “I had seen Charlotte that night and kept my distance like I always did, but unknown to me she had already phoned her dad to stab me, to take my life for her own gain. Charlotte didn’t succeed in her plan but she has taken so much from me. My grandad was admitted to hospital that night and was on end-of-life care – I never got to say goodbye to the man who raised me. I struggled in pain to carry his coffin at his funeral.”
The stabbing followed another attack in August 2023, when Mr McQuade threw a punch at Mr Reed. Prosecutor Holly Menary said the dad-of-two had a “plethora of convictions”, with 37 for 67 offences including burglary, robbery and multiple assaults, while Charlotte McQuade had no previous convictions.
Phil Tully, defending Charlotte McQuade, said she suffered from mental health problems and was “vulnerable”, “highly suggestible and easily led”. He said: “It’s clear that she’s someone who experienced numerous traumatic events as a child which has resulted in her having to deal with mental health issues. The information from Cheshire Police reveals an extensive history of violence and domestic abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse and neglect.”
He said there had been 41 recorded incidents of abuse, which one officer described as “the most extensive history of harm I have ever documented”. He added: “It’s a sad tale this young lady has had to deal with, and it has led to serious mental health issues. Despite that, there’s a completely different side to her. She managed to gain five GCSEs. She has a good work record and there’s clearly a different side to her: someone who is diligent, hardworking and industrious.”
Michael Scholes, defending Conor McQuade, said: “It’s accepted that Conor McQuade was under the influence of alcohol and drugs at the time and while that may be an explanation to the way he behaved, he has to accept that’s an aggravating factor.
“The only points that can be made, apart from his guilty plea and his remorse, is this: as far as I’m aware, none of the defendant’s previous convictions involve weapons.” He added McQuade had made “substantial efforts” to address his alcohol and drug addiction while awaiting sentence at HMP Altcourse.
Sentencing the dad and daughter, Judge Garrett Byrne said: “Since 2020, both of you held a deep-seated grudge against Lewis Reed and believed the justice system had let you down. You demonstrated a willingness to take the law into your own hands, because in August 2023 Conor McQuade attacked Lewis Reed. On that occasion you, Charlotte McQuade, admitted you participated in that attack by arranging for your father to attack him.
“On New Year’s Day 2024, you were both presented with a further opportunity to attack Mr Reed at The Hub. You [Charlotte] alerted your father to Mr Reed’s whereabouts intending he should attend, knowing full well that your father would attack him, and in doing that Mr Reed has been caused really serious injury.
“At 2am, Mr Reed was standing outside smoking and you, Conor McQuade, crept up behind him, a knife in each hand, and stabbed him in the back. It was forceful, it was deep – down to the hilt – it was cowardly, it was brutal.
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