A grieving father tried to kill a man he blamed for the death of his son in an ‘eye for an eye’ attack with a machete, a court heard yesterday.
Samson Price, 48, nearly killed Patrick Brown in the ‘pre-planned’ attack outside a gymnasium in Northwich, Cheshire in September 2021, Chester Court heard.
Price allegedly stalked Mr Brown with a tracker for days because he blamed him for the death of his son Samson Jnr, 18, who drowned in a pond in Wigan in October 2020.
Samson Price (pictured handcuffed), 48, carried out an ‘eye for an eye’ attack on Patrick Brown, 21, whom he blamed for the death of his son Samson Jnr
Samson Price Jnr, 18, was found drowned in a lake in Wigan in October 2020, after traveling there with three friends including Brown
Brown, who was 20 at the time of the attack, was ‘milimeters away from bleeding to death’ after the machete attack in Northwich, Cheshire, in September 2021
He was waiting for Mr Brown outside the PureGym in Northwich and rained five to six punches on his body in broad daylight as the horrified gaze of gym users looked on.
Mr Brown, who was 20 at the time of the attack, was ‘milimeters away from bleeding to death’ but was saved by ‘pure luck’ and very prompt medical treatment after gym users called the emergency services.
A father of two, Price was angry that police had not prosecuted Brown, who was 19 at the time, and two others for murder after Samson died the previous October.
They had been arrested on suspicion of murder after the friends went to a lake called Westwood Flash in Wigan to take the hallucinogenic drug LSD.
The jury was told that Brown said they had camped out and that Samson Price Jnr started behaving strangely and disappeared. He was later found drowned.
The jury was told no charges had been brought, and police told the Price family in March 2021 that Samson’s death was an accident that left the family “very angry”.
Price and his wife Rosanna (pictured with Samson Jnr) had ‘clarified to police that they consider those arrested to be responsible for the death of their son’
Price told his wife he considered himself dead after his son died (pictured Price with son Samson Jnr)
Prosecutor Simon Mills told the court: ‘This was a pre-planned attack on Mr Brown as he emerged from the gymnasium where Price was waiting with his weapon concealed on him.’
“He came very close to achieving his objective of killing Patrick Brown. He inflicted numerous blows to the head, face, back and arms. He may have thought he had done enough to kill Patrick Brown.
“He fled and remained at large for three weeks before finally surrendering to Wakefield Police Station in Yorkshire.
“The defendant had a motive for carrying out this murderous attack. He blames Patrick Broiwn for his son’s death and he was angry that the police didn’t prosecute him for it.
“The prosecution argues it was an eye for an eye case.”
Price agrees to attack Brown but denies having intended to kill him. He admitted to having suffered grievous bodily harm with intent, but pleaded not guilty to attempted murder. The plea is not accepted by the prosecution.
Samson’s parents showed “the understandable grief and raw emotion of a grieving mother and father,” prosecutor Simon Mills said, in messages the couple exchanged in the weeks before the attack .
Mr Mills said Price and his wife Rosanna had ‘made it clear to police that they believe those arrested were responsible for the death of their son’.
He said the ‘understandable grief and raw emotion of a grieving mother and father’ was shown in the messages the couple exchanged in the weeks leading up to the attack.
Price told his wife he considered himself dead after his son’s death.
He wrote: “These feelings are the hardest to deal with. Nothing will bring him back. It’s the absurdity, the injustice and the unfairness of it.
His wife replied, “We should row and worry about him going to all these festivals. I can’t get it into my head that he’s not here and I’ll never hear his voice.
Price added: “We have nothing more to look forward to. I consider myself dead with Samson and honestly, I don’t care what happens to me.
His wife tried to “help him out” by reminding him that their daughter Atlanta needed him.
Price replied, “I’m not going to hurt myself. I will most likely try to harm others. I don’t think I can handle the birthday. I can’t see myself dealing with this. Not that.’
Price denies attempting to kill. The trial continues.
