A shocking street attack has landed a man behind bars after he handed a teenage boy a weapon and allegedly told him to carry out a violent assault on an unsuspecting couple.
Aaron Thistlethwaite, 36, has been sentenced to six years in prison after a court found he encouraged a 16-year-old boy to attack a man and woman walking down a street in Stockton last August.
According to prosecutors, the incident unfolded on the evening of August 25 in the Hardwick area. The couple were simply walking when they noticed a taxi pull up nearby. Thistlethwaite and the teen got out—and that’s when things took a terrifying turn.
The court heard that the couple recognized Thistlethwaite, who had previously stayed with them, and tried to avoid him by turning around and walking the other way.
But he wasn’t going to let that happen.
Thistlethwaite reportedly shouted after them, then handed the teen a drawstring bag containing what was believed to be a machete-type weapon—and told him to “chop them.”
What followed was a violent attack.
Even though the weapon was never fully removed from the bag, the teen used it to strike the woman first, slashing her head so deeply it cut down to the bone. He then turned on the man, hitting him across the head and shoulder, leaving him with serious injuries.
“It was fortunate indeed that they did not receive more serious injuries,” Judge Francis Laird said in court.
While Thistlethwaite didn’t physically strike the victims, the court found he played a central role by directing the attack and supplying the weapon.
“You directed that boy to carry out the attack and supplied him with the weapon,” the judge said.
Thistlethwaite denied any wrongdoing, but was ultimately convicted of intentional wounding. The teenage attacker admitted his role and was sentenced to four years in custody.
The court also heard disturbing details about Thistlethwaite’s past, including a history of violence and drug addiction involving heroin and crack cocaine. He had previously been jailed in 2019 after attacking a man with a knuckle-duster.
Because of his record, the judge described him as posing a serious risk to the public.
Both Thistlethwaite and the teen will also be subject to extended supervision for three years after their release.
Bring back the DEATH SENTENCE. Time to start playing HARDBALL with the looneys, since the asylums have been shut down / closed / removed.
The PUBLIC needs to be made to feel safe again !