Horror injuries of dad hacked repeatedly with a meat cleaver and an axe by love rival who chopped off his finger and knocked out 19 teeth
A CRAZED gym instructor chopped off a love rival's finger with a meat cleaver and knocked out 19 of his teeth in a terrifying revenge attack.
Anthony Power, 25, was jailed for 13 years after he and an unknown accomplice burst into James Ward's house wearing balaclavas in April last year.
Mr Ward, 32, held his hands up to protect himself from the swinging cleaver and an axe but was slashed all over his body and also badly beaten up.
But Power's mask slipped during the attack and the victim recognised him as the current boyfriend of his ex Vicky Britton - the mother of three of Mr Ward's six children.
The Burnley FC fan said he was painting his kitchen claret and blue just after midnight when he heard a crunching noise at the front of the house.
He said: "I ran towards the front door and turned to talk to my four friends who were there when the door went through.
"I was hit in the back with an axe.
"All the others ran upstairs. After they cut my finger off there was a lot of blood so I think panic set in."
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As he put his hands up to protect himself, his left index finger was chopped off, while several others were also partially severed.
He added: "I was on the floor when they hit me in the head with the axe.
"And if the axe had been sharp instead of blunt, they would have chopped my arm off.
"I don't know why they stopped. They said if I went to the police they would kill me."
The frenzy finally ended when he dragged himself to safety under a kitchen counter.
He stumbled outside and was spotted by a neighbour, who called the emergency services.
Mr Ward said: "I was woozy because I had lost a lot of blood. My neighbour asked if I was all right and I was saying, 'I can't find my finger'.
"I can't get it out my head. I can't sleep at night and I don't know what to do."
Burnley Crown Court heard surgeons tried to reattach part of the severed digit but the whole index finger was later amputated to stop infection spreading to the rest of his left hand.
The victim also lost 19 teeth and needed 38 staples to seal the wounds to his head, legs, and back.
Prosecutor Benjamin Lawrence said Mr Ward previously had a long-standing relationship with Vicky Britton and the couple had three children together.
Later Power and Miss Britton began a relationship which prompted Mr Ward to punch his ex and issue threats towards Power, the court heard.
Power made threats in return via social media and he eventually hatched a plan with a friend, after drinking and taking cocaine, to pay his love rival a visit.
After the attack the pair went to the home of Gabrielle Lister and "concocted" an alibi that he had been there all night.
Judge Nick Clarke branded Power "dangerous" as he jailed him for 13 years with an extra four-year extended licence on his eventual release, after he was convicted of causing grievous bodily harm and aggravated burglary.
The judge said: ";This was a pre-planned attack. You had armed yourselves with a meat cleaver and axe, and covered your faces."
Mother-of-one Lister, 23, was found guilty of perverting the course of justice over the false alibi and was jailed for a year.
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