Robbery victim tells of stabbing terror

Terrence McMahon was walking home in Kirkham when he was mugged and attacked

Terrence McMahon, 41, was making the short walk from his Kirkham home to a nearby Chinese takeaway when  he was dragged into a dark alleyway by one of his attackers.

He told how he was left terrified by the ordeal after finding himself surrounded by three men who demanded cash, with one saying: “Give  us the money or you’re getting it.”

Despite being cornered in the alleyway, off Marsden Street in Kirkham, Mr  McMahon at first refused to cooperate – only for his attacker to pull out a five-inch kitchen knife.

Terrence McMahon suffered nasty gashes to his hand as he protected himself from a vicious knife attack.

After handing over £180 in cash, the robber continued to threaten him, jabbing the knife towards Mr McMahon’s face and trying to slash his throat.

The 41-year-old needed stitches to his left hand, where he was twice slashed as he tried to protect himself against the vicious attack.

Construction worker Mr McMahon said: “It was terrifying – they definitely meant business.

“It could have been a lot worse. The first chance I got, I just got out of there and ran.

The alleyway on Marsden Street, Kirkham, where Terrence McMahon was mugged and attacked

“I feared for my life – my main worry was if the other two had knives, it would have been game over for me.”

Police are now hunting the three men responsible, who they say may be of Eastern  European origin.

Mr McMahon had left his home and was walking along Marsden Street at around 10pm on Sunday when he was attacked.

As he approached the alleyway, opposite the Swan pub, he saw a man stood at the end.

He said: “I kept approaching, thinking nothing about it, and he stood in front of me.

“He twisted me around and there were two other men in the alleyway.

“They said they wanted money and I told them ‘no chance’.

“He was speaking English but had a foreign accent. The two men were speaking in a language that sounded Eastern European.

“The next thing I knew, the man in front of me pulled out a kitchen knife with a five-inch blade – I wasn’t quite expecting that.

“As soon as the knife came out, he said ‘give us the money or you’re getting it’. Those were his exact words.”

Having been to the bank earlier that day, he had £180 rolled up in his pocket which he handed over – and thought that would be the end of the ordeal.

But the knife-wielding robber, who he said appeared drunk, became more aggressive.

Mr McMahon added: “He started swinging the knife around and then he swung it towards my face.

“I put my hand up and he cut the side of my palm.

“He then started stabbing at me about three times. I was lucky he missed – it was very scary.

“He stepped back and took another swing at me, which was heading for my throat.

“I put my hand up again and it sliced me right through to the bone.”

The last swing left his attacker off balance and Mr  McMahon used to opportunity to escape from the alleyway and run home.

He said he looked over his shoulder and saw his assailants fleeing the scene, running in the opposite direction along Marsden Street.

Det Con Emma Shuttleworth, of Blackpool CID, said: “The victim was left with a defence wound on his hand – it’s not pretty. He is quite shaken up by the attack and will be off work for the next few weeks.”

She appealed for anybody who saw anything suspicious at around 10pm on Sunday to contact police.

The offender with the knife is described as white and with a goatee beard and stubble. He wore a black or dark blue baseball cap, light blue jeans and a black lightweight jacket.

Call 101 with information.