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Ashford knifeman jailed after slicing victim’s face in ‘revenge attack’

A knifeman who slashed a man's face in revenge for punching a hole in a door has been jailed for almost seven years.

Travis Horsford targeted Saffren Marlowe in two separate attacks after he discovered the damage at a friend's property in Ashford.

Travis Horsford. Picture: Facebook
Travis Horsford. Picture: Facebook

A court heard the 32-year-old confronted Mr Marlowe in Torrington Road on May 23 and the pair were caught on CCTV squaring up to each other.

Horsford pulled out a flick knife and opened the blade before chasing Mr Marlowe but he did not use it and the fracas came to an end.

The next day however, and with what a judge described as a "residual amount of anger left over", Horsford confronted Mr Marlowe for a second time.

On this occasion he did use a flick knife, slashing his victim across his face to leave a gaping wound and now permanent scarring.

Mr Marlowe has also since been diagnosed with PTSD, Canterbury Crown Court was told.

Horsford, of High Street, Ashford, later admitted wounding, assault causing actual bodily harm, common assault and two offences of having a bladed article.

He claimed to have been acting in self-defence when he brandished the flick knife during the first confrontation.

But on jailing him for six years and nine months today (Friday), Recorder Sarah Counsell said there was "an element of revenge" to his second attack on Mr Marlowe.

Travis Horsford. Picture: Facebook
Travis Horsford. Picture: Facebook

She told Horsford: "You accept that you formed an intention to cause really serious harm to Mr Marlowe and indeed you did so.

"You were armed with a knife and said 'He's getting it now'. You punched him repeatedly and then you pulled out your knife saying 'I'm going to shank you'.

"Using a backhanded motion, you then swiped the knife across his face, causing physical injury and scarring across his face and under his nose."

The court heard that Mr Marlowe's self-esteem has been impacted and his children left upset.

The judge continued: "As Mr Marlowe says at the end of his statement 'This would never have happened if Travis didn't get the knife out and slash my face'."

Recorder Counsell added however that Horsford, who has a previous conviction for possessing a knife when he was 19, had since shown genuine remorse.

The knife was never recovered.

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