Halloween attack: Bristol teenager given life sentence

Chanz Maximen carried out the attacks in October and November 2019

A teenager who carried out two random "terrifying" knife attacks has been given a life sentence.

Chanz Maximen was 17-years-old when he dragged doctor Adam Towler out of his house in Clifton, Bristol, and stabbed him nine times.

A few weeks later he sliced the face of Wojtek Rozmiarek as he was on his way home from a night shift.

A jury found him guilty of attempted murder, GBH and three counts of possessing a bladed article.

Maximen, now 19, of Sea Mills, carried out the attacks in October and November 2019.

His sentencing includes a minimum of 12 years imprisonment.

Officers sighted Maximen walking on Whiteladies Road after he broke into a woman's house

In the first attack Maximen knocked on the door of Dr Towler, who initially thought it was a Halloween prank.

Maximen pulled him into the road and stabbed him repeatedly, including a blow that missed his heart by two centimetres.

The defendant told him, "You killed the girl", a phrase that he has never explained and meant nothing to the victim or investigators.

Maximen left the doctor for dead in the street and left but did not go far.

The victim, a former trauma specialist, managed to crawl back inside his house but was bleeding so profusely he was initially unable to use his phone keypad or facial recognition to call 999.

Chased into train station

When he eventually managed to make the 999 call, Maximen returned to the address and could be heard throwing his full body weight against the front door trying to force his way in.

Dr Towler described the door frame as "flexing" under his weight.

On 20 November, Maximen attacked 39-year-old Wojtek Rozmiarek and sliced him across the face as he sat on a bench while on his journey home from a night shift.

The next night he followed 22-year-old Annabel Everitt home, knocked on her door and forced his way in with a knife.

Police were called and saw him walking on Whiteladies Road. Officers chased him through Westfield Park and several residential gardens before catching him at Clifton Down train station.

When he was arrested he was found to be carrying two knives.

Maximen was chased by police into Clifton Down train station

When he was arrested he was found to have two knives

Maximen denied the attempted murder of Dr Towler, grievous bodily harm with intent of Mr Rozmiarek and two counts of possession of a knife but was convicted after a trial last December.

He admitted a lesser charge of wounding Mr Rozmiarek.

Edd Hetherington, for Maximen, told the court that his client had suffered a developmental disorder that was a combination of both a learning difficulty and a communication disorder.

Mr Heatherington said that Maximen had a very supportive home life.

'Highly dangerous' defendant

Judge Hart said: "There is no logical explanation for any of your offending other than that you are a highly dangerous young man with a wholly distorted view of life and appropriate conduct.

"It is not due to any recognised mental illness or diagnosed personality disorder and I can only conclude that it is simply because, for whatever reason, you are just like that."

In his victim statement, Dr Towler expressed concern for the defendant and his future.

He wrote: "Amid all the great experiences I had [on holiday] I never stopped thinking about you."

Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Inspector Kristina Windsor, said: "The very thought of being randomly attacked by a stranger with a knife in your own home or while sat on a public bench is terrifying.

"I'd like to praise the immense bravery and courage all the victims and witnesses have shown."