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I was savaged with 12-inch kitchen knife & ‘scalped’ by crazed school pal in row over ex… my torment had only just begun
“I DIDN’T even know how many times I’d been stabbed because there was so much blood.”
These is how Lois Henderson describes the moment she was pinned down, repeatedly savaged with a 12-inch long kitchen knife and had her scalp cut into aged just 17.
The now 24-year-old from Lancaster became yet another young victim of knife crime when jealous former school mate Anna Dickinson entered the house she was staying in to carry out a brutal premeditated attack.
Yet Anna, who was 18 at the time, was given only 32 months in prison, and let out in half that time.
Worse still, Lois had no idea that her attacker – who had targeted her in a row over dating her ex Tyrone Baines – had been released.
Instead, she found out for herself when she saw her out and about in town, going about her life as if nothing had happened.
Now, six years on, Lois is speaking out for the first time amid the knife crime crisis currently gripping the country.
But her story also offers a unique window into the scourge of soft justice that leaves victims like her feeling as if their attackers have received nothing more than “a slap on the wrist” – and leaves the public fearful that future attacks won’t be deterred.
“I feel anger. I didn’t even feel like the victim, in a way, because of the lack of support, and how much more attention she was getting than I was,” she said.
“I just feel completely screwed over. I do not feel like justice was served.”
Tragically, Lois’ story is far from unique these days.
Offences involving a knife increased by a shocking 80 per cent in the last ten years. And every week, four people in the UK die from stab wounds.
This year alone has already witnessed a string of horrific knife attacks against – and carried out by – teenagers.
Earlier this month, 15-year old Harvey Willgoose was stabbed to death by someone the same age at his school in Sheffield.
And just last month, 12-year old Leo Ross was murdered while walking through a Birmingham park.
But both these incidents are just the tip of the iceberg.
A shocking 509 children under the age of 17 were hospitalised for injuries from knives and other sharp items between April 2023 and April 2024, according to the Youth Endowment Fund.
I was kicking my legs, and trying to protect my face, because that was all I could do
Lois
For Lois, February 19, 2018, is a date that will forever be burned into her memory.
She was round the house of her friend Tyrone when the pair were disturbed by a commotion downstairs at 2am.
Outside was jealous college student Anna, and two of her friends – one of whom brandished a replica firearm to gain access to the home.
Seconds later, Lois saw Anna on the landing, headed straight for her room and gripping on to a 12-inch long kitchen knife.
Anna launched herself towards Lois in a frenzy, stabbing her across her body five times and using a key to cut into her scalp.
Pinned down by Anna’s friend, Lois could only use her legs in vain to defend herself.
The attack came to an end when the friend shouted to Anna: “I didn’t know you were gonna stab her.”
‘I thought I was going to die’
Lois was left with a punctured lung, wounded in her shoulder and was only inches away having a critical artery severed.
“I just thought I was going to die,” she said.
“I was kicking my legs, and trying to protect my face, because that was all I could do.
“I blacked out for part of the time she was stabbing me.
“After, I could see stab wounds on myself where I was hanging open and I could actually see bubbles, like my fat.”
While her attacker was not a repeat offender, Lois was still shocked at the short sentence of 32 months she was handed.
“I was expecting multiple years, because in my eyes, it was attempted murder,” she explained.
“And even though the police knew it was a premeditated attack, she actually only ended up eventually being sentenced to wounding with intent.”
Anna was released half-way through her sentence, serving only 16 months for carrying out the savage attack that Lois was lucky to survive.
I don’t understand how a sentence like that is going to deter people from these sorts of crimes
Lois
But Lois was never told that her attacker had been released – and only found out when she saw her out in the town centre, causing her to suffer a panic attack.
Such was the anxiety Lois felt that three years ago she moved from Lancaster to Cornwall, where she now lives with her partner and two young children.
“I never felt safe knowing that she was around,” she said.
“To say that I didn’t feel safe in my home town, it’s just not right at all. I was the victim, not her.
“For me to still be walking around, looking over my shoulder all the time, it was scary. Her life just goes on.”
Let off lightly
Lois’s experience of feeling abandoned by the justice system is one repeated up and down the country.
In September this year, more than 1,700 prisoners in England and Wales were released early in order to ease overcrowding in prisons.
Yet despite domestic abusers and sex offenders being among those let back out onto the streets, dozens of victims were given no warning that they were released.
Given the brutal impact of the attack, it is little surprise Lois feels both anger and confusion at the short sentence her attacker received.
“One of the things that angers me the most to this day, is that I feel like she got away with it almost, to be honest,” she said.
“I was glad that she was being given some form of punishment, but I still didn’t feel like she was suffering for what she’d done. I still felt like she’d got away with it – like she got a slap on the wrist.
“It’s one of the things that gets me down the most. I don’t understand how a sentence like that is going to deter people from these sorts of crimes.”
In the aftermath of the attack, Lois was left feeling scared and vulnerable, and still fights anxiety and PTSD to this day as a result.
But she didn’t hear back from the police once after Anna was sentenced.
“It’s something you see on the news and stuff, but you never actually expect it to happen to you,” she said.
“It’s been six years since it happened, but it takes up a massive part of my brain.
“I would have really liked to receive some form of ongoing support. But there was nothing whatsoever.
“I’ll wake up in the night from a bad dream and feel like I was being pinned down and feel like it was happening again. My body is just on red alert all the time,” she added.
“My physical scars head over time, but the mental ones, I don’t think they will ever go away.”
Toby Carvery angers customers with takeaway rule blaming greedy diners for taking too much food
PUB giants Toby Carvery have sent a reminder to staff that they can refuse customers from taking leftovers because they say some are swiping too much grub.
The chain, whose motto is Home of the Roast, has told staff to stop giving customers complimentary cardboard boxes for their table scraps because it is encouraging customers to overload their plates.
But some customers say they have been refused doggy bags despite not being greedy.
One customer, Nathan Perry, 22, from Chislehurst, Kent said: “I went into my local Toby Carvery and had a roast dinner and a pint of lager.
“I couldn’t finish my meal so I asked for a takeaway box and they said I wasn’t allowed.
“Staff were very apologetic but said they had had a strongly-worded email from head office saying people were troughing out on huge extra helpings.
“I was annoyed as I didn’t even go for seconds and had to leave the rest as I had nothing to take it home in.”
Last night a worker at Toby Carvery in Bromley Common, London said: “Customers are getting quite upset when we tell them they can’t have a doggy bag which is a special Toby Carvery round box.
“We have to tell them it is to stop people taking more than their fair share of food.”
Bosses say there have been occasions when customers have taken more than is acceptable and it is down to staff discretion on whether they can offer takeaway boxes.
A spokesperson added: “Our all-you-can-eat offer is designed to be enjoyed while dining in our restaurants, and for this reason, we do not offer doggy bags as standard.
“However, to help our guests reduce food waste where there is a genuine need, a container may be provided at the restaurant’s discretion.”
In 2023, one customer was disgusted when staff at a Toby Carvery wrapped up leftovers in cling film.
Every year, Brits chow down approximately 1.3billion roast dinners, with 31million customers flowing through the doors of the popular Sunday roast chain to eat 11,000 tonnes of potatoes.
In November, the owner of Harvester, Toby Carvery and All Bar One, Mitchells & Butlers (M&B), warned it will take a £100m hit as a result of the tax changes outlined in the October budget.
The pub and restaurant group said it was facing “cost headwinds” in its current financial year, which began at the start of October, because of the increases in the national minimum wage and employer national insurance contributions (NICs) announced by Rachel Reeves, which are due to take effect from next April.
Fiv fun facts about Toby Carvery
- There are 158 Toby Carvery restaurants in the UK
- Toby Carvery serves 21million meals every year
- It also serves 39million drinks
- The restaurant chain employs 4,500 staff
- It cooks more than 500,000 turkeys and half a million beer joints every year
M&B is just one of a number of chains saying they will take a financial hit due to the two upcoming hikes.
A host of pub chains have warned the extra costs will be passed onto customers in the shape of costlier pints.
In November, chief executive of pub chain Fuller’s, Simon Emeny, said the price of beers at its hotels and boozers would likely be bumped up by 10p.
The boss of the brewing giant slammed the decision to hike NICs as “counter productive to growth” and “hurting young employment“.
In its results published last month, Shepherd Neame, which runs 300 pubs and hotels across London South-East England, said it may have to raise prices.
The brewer, which claims to be the oldest in the UK, said the combined NIC and national minimum wage hikes would cost it £2.6million.
Wetherspoons also hiked prices across a range of menu items by up to 30p last month after warning its coffers would take a hit.
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How Danny Dyer’s decision to ditch EastEnders put his career back on track and now Hollywood is calling again
DANNY Dyer might have shocked EastEnders fans when he quit playing miserable landlord Mick Carter, but this is the best decision he’s ever made.
The actor has now risen from the Albert Square ashes and gone back to what he does best – being a movie star.
Before life as a pub landlord in dreary Walford, Danny was well known for his hard-hitting films like Football Factory and The Business.
In fact, Danny enjoyed a very successful career as a film star, appearing alongside great British actors like Ray Winstone and John Simm.
However, despite stating he wouldn’t do EastEnders until he was “fat, bald and fifty”, he headed to serve pints behind the bar at Ye Ole Queen Vic.
Despite spending seven years in the comfortable role, the actor made the huge decision to quit the soap in 2022 – and as the old saying goes, “fortune favours the bold”.
This in hand turned out to be the best decision Mr Dyer could have made, as he’s back in the movie business.
Hollywood had almost forgotten the shining star he once was, as he swapped Tinsel Town for Albert Square.
But well done to Danny for being brave and not becoming a soap star that just sticks around for the pay cheque (I could name a few).
His bold step has certainly paid off and he is now one of the most sought after British actors and the jobs are pouring in.
Fans could not get enough of him as Freddie Jones in the Disney+ smash hit series, Rivals.
Who would’ve though the former film hardman turned Queen Vic landlord would be the breakout star of a Jilly Cooper romper – but he was.
With his fake moustache and wig, Danny charmed the pants off us all as the reluctant hero of the bonkbuster.
The role showed a more softer, gentle Danny and in turn proved he shouldn’t always be typecast as the gruff hardman.
The actor has even admitted he loved playing “gentle soul” Freddie, and enjoyed being “more versatile” with his acting.
Reflecting on the role, Danny told Rivals The Official Podcast: “For me, I was certainly looking to do something different… Fred, is such a lovely, gentle soul, really.”
Fans were impressed with the outcome, and I certainly have to agree with one viewer who said: “Danny Dyer is a way better actor than people give him credit for – the warmth and nuance he gives to his character in Rivals is gorgeous.”
This role was enough to get Hollywood on the phone and Tinsel Town quite literally called.
Leaving his soap star life well and truly in the past, Dan the man is now rubbing his shoulders with the A-list, hoping he can soon be on it.
This week I loved seeing Danny back in the movie business and shooting a film with none other than Rebel Wilson.
He was spotted filming the upcoming festive flick, quite aptly called Tinsel Town.
The boy’s done good, as he is joined in the cast by Hollywood heavyweight Kiefer Sutherland.
This new movie gig only proves my point further, quitting EastEnders was the best thing the actor could’ve done, and he never needs to look back.
It’s great to see Danny back on top form and making movies, just as he should be – and NOT serving gin and tonics in the Vic.
Danny Dyer's career so far
Danny Dyer has played several film and TV roles across a three-decade acting career.
Here’s a look back at some of his most memorable performances.
- Prime Suspect (1993): Danny made his screen debut in an episode of the long-running ITV police procedural. He appeared as a character named “Martin Fletcher”.
- Human Traffic (1999): Danny’s debut film saw him portray “Moff”, a dealer. Directed by Justin Kerrigan, the coming-of-age comedy drama also featured John Simm, Andrew Lincoln and Richard Coyle.
- Mean Machine (2001): An adaptation of The Longest Yard, this sports comedy also featured Vinnie Jones and Jason Statham. Danny played “Billy the Limpet”.
- The Football Factory (2004): Loosely based on the novel of the same name by John King. Danny led the cast of this sports drama, directed by Nick Love. He portrayed “Tommy Johnson”.
- EastEnders (2013-2022): Danny appeared in the London-set BBC soap opera for almost a decade. He played Queen Vic landlord “Mick Carter”, opposite Kellie Bright as his on-screen wife Linda.
- Rivals (2024): The actor was among an all-star ensemble cast in this Disney+ series based on Jilly Cooper’s novel. Danny played the role of “Freddie Jones”.