Two Brothers in Court Over Solihull Tower Block Knife Attack That Left Man Blinded

Two brothers are have gone on trial at Birmingham Crown Court in court 8 before his Honour Judge. A Smith KC, accused of attempting to murder a man who was left with a knife blade embedded in his eye socket following a violent incident at a Solihull tower block.

Ben Edwards, 27, and Dean Edwards, 30, both deny charges of attempted murder and an alternative count of wounding with intent in connection with the incident at Linacre House on Heathmere Drive, Fordbridge, in the early hours of 7 April.

Before HHJ Andrew Smith KC, Recorder pf Birmingham, in Courtroom 8, Prosecutor Tariq Shakoor told the jury that the complainant, Dylan Evans, suffered a single stab wound to his right eye that penetrated his orbital socket and entered the frontal region of his skull, causing bleeding on the brain.

The court heard that Mr Evans had visited the fifth-floor flat belonging to Ben Edwards at around 1:00 am, having taken the lift up with Dean Edwards, whom he had known since school.

CCTV footage captured Mr Evans leaving the building at 4:41 am with the blade of the knife lodged in his right eye and the handle missing, before he crossed the street to a neighbouring block of flats to seek assistance.

The two defendants were seen on camera running away from the property approximately four minutes later, the jury was told.

Mr Evans was transported to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, where surgeons removed a section of his skull during an operation to extract the weapon, but the damage rendered the right eyeball unsalvageable and required its complete surgical removal.

The prosecution submitted that the attack was a joint enterprise, alleging that both defendants acted together, with one wielding the knife while the other assisted or encouraged the assault.

Mr Shakoor stated that the weapon had been deliberately targeted at the victim's eye, arguing to the jury that it would have been impossible for such a severe injury to have occurred by accident.

The court heard that Mr Evans has no recollection of the moment the injury was inflicted.

Both defendants handed themselves in at Perry Barr police station later the same day, where Dean Edwards made a comment during processing indicating that he would be detained for a considerable period on suspicion of attempted murder, while asserting that he had acted in self-defence.

The trial continues.