Andrew Topping had a ‘moment of madness’ while ‘intending to scare away’ a suspected vandal who he believed had damaged his garden gate
17:12, 18 Feb 2026Updated 06:23, 19 Feb 2026
Andrew Topping outside Liverpool Crown Court(Image: Liverpool Echo)
A warehouse worker stabbed a man who he suspected of having damaged his garden gate. Andrew Topping was said to have armed himself while “intending to scare the male away”, but he instead knifed him once to the chest.
This “moment of madness” reportedly came against a background of him having been subjected to a campaign of anti-social behaviour years previously. But he was spared an immediate prison sentence due to his caring responsibilities for his elderly parents, as well as being the sole breadwinner for him and his poorly long-term partner.
Liverpool Crown Court heard yesterday afternoon, Wednesday, that a neighbour of Topping’s on Folds Lane in St Helens recalled “hearing a noise outside” at around 12.30am on November 10 last year before “coming out of her address and seeing a man causing damage” to property. This led to the 51-year-old defendant believing that his victim, Joshua Ollerhead, had been responsible for vandalism to his front gate, although the suspect denies having done so.
Christopher Hopkins, prosecuting, described how Topping thereafter went into the street and spoke to the other resident before returning into his home and arming himself with a knife, which he kept in his living room. He later told the police that he subsequently went back outside with the “intention to scare the male away”.
But CCTV footage then captured a “confrontation” at 12.44am, with Mr Hopkins adding: “The detail could not be made out as to precisely what was happening. During the course of that confrontation, the defendant stabbed the victim once to the right side of the chest.”
Mr Ollerhead sustained a single stab wound to the chest wall as a result, an injury which required treatment consisting of three staples. Topping has no previous convictions.
Andrew Topping outside Liverpool Crown Court(Image: Liverpool Echo)
Peter Killen, defending, told the court that his client had been subjected to a “history of antisocial behaviour”, including an assault, which was unrelated to Mr Ollerhead and dated back to a period between 2007 and 2009. He said: “It was about 2010 that the defendant started to take medication for anxiety and depression. It was a long time ago, but it is true when he describes a background of trouble in the past. It was extensive, and it had an impact on him.
“Obviously, there is a background to what happened. The defendant is 51, and he has never been in trouble before. There obviously was a disturbance on the street. There is a video of a man damaging a car. As a result of what happened in the past, he did something wholly out of character for him.
“The court may be able to accept in his case that, although misguided and wrong, the taking of the weapon was not something intended to be used. He is not a man who has an aggressive character or history. He makes a very unwise, incorrect and illegal choice.
“The pre-sentence report finds that there is genuine remorse. There is a full work history and current employment stretching back over 20 years, working nights in a warehouse, honest employment and important employment in supporting his partner of 30 years.
“At the time of these offences, there were a number of factors increasing the stress on the defendant, the daily caring responsibilities for his mother, the very poor health of his father, ongoing investigations into the potential of cancer with his partner. It was a moment of madness. There is exemplary good character. It is highly unlikely that any criminality would happen again with this defendant.”
Topping admitted unlawful wounding and possession of a bladed article in a public place. Appearing in the dock wearing a navy blue jumper over a white shirt, he was handed an 18-month imprisonment suspended for 18 months with 120 hours of unpaid work and a rehabilitation activity requirement of up to 20 days, as well as a three-year restraining order.
Sentencing, Judge Robert Trevor-Jones said: “As far as you were concerned, it was the victim who caused damage to your gate. Whether that is right or wrong is perhaps not necessary to determine. The important thing is, that is what your perception was and there was at least partial justification.
“You went out to remonstrate. You went back to produce the knife to scare him away. You end up striking him, stabbing him once to the chest, it seems, on a reckless basis.
“It is a classic example of somebody taking that extra step, arming themselves with an immensely dangerous weapon, potentially, not with the intent of using it aggressively. When it is taken into a situation of conflict, who knows what can happen and where it can lead.
“It is very sad. You were a man of impeccable good character before this. [Your sister] speaks of the stress you had been under, in terms of the general conditions of members of the family and your community work. References from friends all speak of how highly principled a man you are.
“You care for both of your parents, your mother chronically unwell with a number of issues and your father gravely ill, potentially terminally ill. You are the sole provider. Your partner, unfortunately, is also in significant, if not serious, ill health.
“You yourself, somewhat historically, have had episodes of very extreme depression. You had antisocial behaviour come to your door, but that was many years ago. It does, perhaps, provide a background or backdrop to what happened on this particular night, when similar conduct happened. The mitigating factors are many. I am clearly going to suspend the operation of these sentences.”