East Lancashire gang jailed for 30 years in total after two violent attacks

Margaret Gilheaney, 36, her son Joseph, 19, his sister Isabel, 19, her boyfriend Martin Maughan, 19, and another man David Cammack, 28, brutally attacked victims Jordan Daley and Matthew Howard.

Burnley Crown Court heard Jordan Daley, who had been celebrating his 18th birthday, was attacked with a broken bottle.

He needed 51 stitches to his face and arms after being attacked by Joseph Gilheaney in the early hours of August 23, 2010.

In a separate incident in February 2011, father-of-three Matthew Howard was knifed repeatedly by Margaret and Isabel Gilheaney with a machete and ‘left for dead’ in an alleyway.

Prosecutor Sarah Booth said: “He believed he was going to die there alone in the alley.” He suffered 14 stab wounds, a collapsed lung, nerve damage and ended up ‘disabled’, the court heard.

The court heard Margaret Gilheaney’s ‘dirty and smelly’ home in Elizabeth Street, Accrington, was the setting for both assaults.

Joseph Gilheaney, formerly of Manchester Road, Haslingden, but now of Lydia Street, Accrington, was sent to detention for eight years with four years’ extended licence after admitting wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm to Mr Daley and separate allegations of affray and possessing an article with a blade four months later.

He chased two hostel residents on his street with a knife.

Police later found a two-and-a-half foot machete at his home.

Margaret Gilheaney admitted violent disorder over Mr Daley and wounding Mr Howard with intent to do him grievous bodily harm. She was jailed for 10 years.

Isabel Gilheaney, also of Elizabeth Street, was jailed for six years for wounding with intent to do Mr Howard grievous bodily harm and Maughan, of Eddleston Street, pleaded guilty to wounding and was jailed for three years four months.

Cammack, of St James Road, Accrington, already serving a robbery jail term, admitted violent disorder in the first incident and was given another 12 months.