Brothers stabbed co-worker love rival at his home after affair

Brett Fenwick stabbed his former lover and her partner just after Christmas last year.

A man went to his co-worker’s home and stabbed him after having an affair with his girlfriend.

Louise Pearce had been in an 18-year relationship with Gareth Mallaburn when she started seeing Brett Fenwick.

The two men both worked as kitchen porters at the Alnwick Garden tourist attraction, an ornamental gardens in Northumberland, while Miss Pearce also worked there as a cleaner.

On Bonfire Night last year she revealed she had cheated on Mr Mallaburn, the father of her three children, with Brett Fenwick.

At Christmas, the bad feeling ended in a horrific attack when Brett and his brother, Blaine Fenwick turned up at the couple’s home.

The brothers launched an attack on Mr Mallaburn, who was stabbed in the neck before Brett turned a knife on his former lover, stabbing her in the neck and face repeatedly.

Brett had previously admitted trying to murder Miss Pearce and now a jury at Newcastle Crown Court has convicted both Fenwicks of wounding with intent on Mr Mallaburn.

A judge warned both men faced lengthy spells behind bars and remanded them in custody until January.

Judge Penny Moreland told them: ‘You both understand the only possible sentence is a lengthy sentence of custody.’

Jurors were told Mr Mallaburn had previously considered Brett Fenwick a friend but he admitted being angry and shocked at the affair revelation and sent some threatening texts to him.

Miss Pearce moved out for a time but they got back together and decided to try to repair their relationship.

It was in the early hours of December 27 last year when the Fenwicks went to the couple’s home on Howling Lane, in Alnwick after they had been out drinking.

The court heard they knocked on the door and when Miss Pearce answered, they pushed past her and ran upstairs, where Mr Mallaburn was.

Mr Mallaburn barricaded himself into the bedroom as Brett shouted about the text messages his rival had sent, jurors were told.

Mr Giuliani said: ‘What happened then was Brett took a knife out again and lunged towards Mr Mallaburn and stabbed him in the neck.

‘He pulled away but Brett tried to stab him again saying “You don’t know what I’m capable of, you want me to kill you, I will do it right now”.’

Mr Mallaburn managed to escape out of the back door and went to his mum’s home.

Mr Giuliani said: ‘At this point Brett Fenwick turned his violence towards the woman with whom he was having an affair and began shouting at her that she was pathetic and would never leave Mr Mallaburn.

‘Then he began to attack her, he stabbed her. She got outside and the attack continued outside.’

A neighbour who saw what happened will describe how Brett ‘executed a prolonged and vicious attack’ on Miss Pearce.

The court heard the Fenwicks denied going to the house armed with knives and Blaine claimed to police they were defending themselves.

Mr Mallaburn told jurors he had socialised with Brett Fenwick before the affair and said he was ‘meant to be a friend’.

Asked about his reaction to finding out he had been seeing his partner, he said: ‘I was hurt by the affair, gutted.

‘I was angry and just really shocked. Words can’t really describe how I felt.’

He added: ‘Louise said she was sorry and had made a mistake.

‘She was showered with gifts and lies.’

Brett Fenwick, 36, of Lower Barresdale, Alnwick, will be sentenced for attempting to murder Miss Pearce and wounding with intent on Mr Mallaburn.

He was cleared of an allegation of having an article with a blade or point. Blaine Fenwick, 25, also of Lower Barresdale, Alnwick, was convicted of wounding with intent and cleared of two counts of having a bladed article.

They will be sentenced on January 7.