Father and son who attacked a man with a machete and a plank of wood covered in nails are jailed for 20 years – as victim is left unable to even pick up a cup of tea

A father and son duo who attacked their neighbour with a machete and a plank of wood covered in nails over a parking row have been jailed for 20 years. 

George Ripley Snr – who is a grandfather – and George Ripley Jnr, ‘took revenge’ by viciously attacking a neighbour with a machete and lock knife.

A court heard the ‘cowardly and barbaric’ attack took place in September last year which has left the victim’s head in a different shape and a left hand that ‘can’t even lift a teacup’.

Both Ripleys, from Basildon in Essex, had a feud with their neighbour since they moved in next door at the end of 2023.

Basildon Crown Court heard that Ripley Snr, 44, and Jnr, 22, armed themselves with a machete, lock knife and plank of wood with protruding nails and attacked the man on September 10, 2024.

The attack resulted in the neighbour’s hand being injured and it is so weak it will never recover – and he will not be able to return to work as a scaffolder. 

After being confronted by another local, the father and son fled the scene and tried to clean their clothes and vehicle to destroy forensic evidence, the court heard.

Both men went on to admit wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, along with possession of bladed articles and offensive weapons. 

George Ripley Snr – who is a grandfather – also attacked the neighbour

Prosecuting, Matthew Paul told the court that ‘bad blood’ developed between parties with several incidents taking place in the months leading up to the attack.

This included the victim telling neighbours he had been threatened by Ripley Snr with a knife.

Another neighbour witnessed Ripley Snr shouting on the phone ‘shouting c*** several times’, and he said ‘come here and I will cut your throat and kill you’. 

Mr Paul said: ‘He then walked over to the garden table and picked up a machete on the table, and it was very similar in size, shape and appearance that was used to attack the victim on September 10.’

On the day of the attack, a neighbour overheard a row between the three men, went up to his window and saw Ripley Jnr holding a machete and Ripley Snr kicking the victim. 

Another neighbour heard Ripley Snr shout ‘I’m going to f*****g get you, you need to hear this’.

Mr Paul continued: ‘The attack started when the Ripleys drove at him in the pick up truck as if to run him down. 

‘They got out and got a plank of wood with nails sticking out. [Snr] then struck him over the head with it, and he fell to the ground and while he was no the ground they continued to attack.

‘Both men then had knives; Jnr produced a machete and repeatedly struck at him with it. [The victim] suffered extensive defensive injuries to his hands from the attack. 

‘Snr thrust at him with a lock knife. It was the victim’s good luck that a neighbour came out of his house and intervened, telling the defendants to stop, asking “what the hell they were doing”.’

Mr Paul said the neighbour witnessed the parties ‘covered in blood’ and that he was ‘astonished by the level of violence that was being used’. 

Ripley Snr, as he walked away, reportedly told the neighbour ‘sorry, this shouldn’t have happened’. 

The court additionally heard that the Ripleys had tried to wash the clothes they were wearing to ‘destroy evidence’. 

Mr Paul added: ‘The defendants were taking revenge about the front the victim had made about the parking issues.’

In a statement read to the court, the victim said he has been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). 

He said: ‘Every time I have a shower it causes me to have flashbacks. When the shower water runs off my head it reminds me of the blood running off my head. I hardly sleep anymore; When I do, I feel like I am being pinned down so hard I can’t breathe. It’s made me feel helpless.

‘My left hand is awful; I can’t pick up a teacup, let alone a kettle because it barely has any strength. I’ve been advised that it will never go back to how it was and I just need to make it as usable as I can.’

Mitigation for both Ripleys argued there was a level of provocation against the pair and disputed it was an act of revenge, though their response was ‘nasty’ and indefensible. 

Kevin Toomey, for Ripley Jnr, said he had never offended before which was to his credit, while Christopher Martin for Ripley Snr said he was a grandfather and had made good use of his time in prison.

Judge Samantha Leigh told the duo: ‘This was a cowardly attack perpetrated by you, to show who was boss in the area. The attack is nothing less than barbaric.’ 

The judge jailed Ripley Snr for 12 years and seven months with an extended three years on licence, while Ripley Jnr was jailed for eight years. Both must serve two thirds of their sentence before being eligible for parole.