The dad pulled a knife from his pocket and swiped at his enemy’s ear after being punched to the floor and kicked on the ground
16:00, 15 May 2026Updated 16:20, 15 May 2026
Joseph McClean-Evans, of Britannia Crescent, aged 28(Image: Merseyside Police)
A smiling thug went to the pub in his slippers and slashed a man. Joseph McClean-Evans responded to being punched to the floor and kicked on the ground by pulling a knife from his pocket and swiping at his enemy’s ear.
The dad then went on to subject the mum of his children to a barrage of “truly disgusting and unacceptable” violence and abuse, even threatening to shoot and rape members of her family. Having told her he was “going to go to jail” as a result of his vile behaviour, he remained absent from court today, Friday, as his prediction came true.
Liverpool Crown Court heard McClean-Evans attended the Queens Arms pub on Admiral Street in Toxteth shortly before 8.30pm on February 28 last year. CCTV footage showed him wearing a white shirt, black tie, flat cap and slippers before he was seemingly gestured into a side room by a man named John Cassell, who had earlier been seen playing on a slot machine.
David Watson, prosecuting, described how the two men then briefly disappeared from the view of the cameras before returning, at which stage they were shown engaged in a “heated” conversation. The 28-year-old defendant, of Britannia Crescent in Dingle, was subsequently pushed and punched to the floor by the other customer and kicked on the ground.
McClean-Evans responded by producing a knife from his pocket, standing up and slashing at Mr Cassell with the weapon. Police attended and found Mr Cassell with a “deep wound” to his left ear, although he refused to wait for an ambulance and declined to make a formal complaint.
Officers meanwhile arrested McClean-Evans as he attempted to leave in a taxi, having appeared to be under the influence of alcohol and drugs with specks of blood on his clothing and wearing a single slipper. Footage of the incident showed the other flying off during the melee, along with his hat, while a black multitool was recovered from the road near to the entrance to the pub’s car park.
With McClean-Evans having claimed to have acted in self-defence under interview, he was subsequently released pending further investigations. On the evening of September 21 2025, he then attended the home of his former partner and the mother of his two children, although he was asked to leave “following a disagreement”.
However, McClean-Evans went on to bombard her with a series of calls, stretching into 2am the following day, before she was awoken shortly after 3am to find him standing outside her address, warning that he’d “come to see her and the children for the last time” and saying he was “going to ruin her life”. He threatened to get a gun and shoot members of her family and rape one male relative.
Having eventually been allowed access to the property, McClean-Evans, who was said to have been armed with a flick knife at the time, went on to punch her to the side of the head before asking her to call him a taxi. She later recorded him making further threats, including telling her he would set fire to her mum’s house, before leaving and continuing to call her throughout the remainder of the night, stating he was “going to go to jail” as a result of his actions.
McClean-Evans has a total of 15 previous convictions for 33 offences, including for wounding and possession of an offensive weapon in a public place in October 2019. Carmel Wilde, defending, told the court: “He is somebody that has suffered from ADHD, dyspraxia and dyslexia and suffered during the pandemic because, whilst in custody, he was struggling with anxiety and bereavements in the family and of friends who took their own lives.
“He is still relatively young. It was an on-off relationship. He received the news of infidelity with a best friend and clearly reacted disgracefully. He has been in custody for a long time now. I invite your honour to give him some light at the end of tunnel.”
McClean-Evans admitted unlawful wounding, possession of a bladed article in a public place and harassment. He failed to attend this morning’s hearing after declining to board transport from the prison where he has been held on remand, with the dock remaining empty he was jailed for four years and banned from contacting his former partner for 10 years under a restraining order.
Sentencing, Judge Simon Medland KC said: “The defendant was in a public house. He was quietly minding his own business, so it appears from CCTV, when he was approached by Mr John Cassell.
“The reason for that encounter is not known. There was some outburst of argument between them. Mr Cassell pushed the defendant then punched him twice. When the defendant had been skittled to the floor, Mr Cassell used his shoed foot to kick or stamp him.
“Regrettably, the defendant’s response was to reach into his pocket for the knife which he held in it. He slashed him deliberately to the back of his left ear, causing a substantial and deep wound.
“Later, he was causing trouble, quite avoidably, in a relationship which he had had previously. He behaved to her in truly disgusting and very offensive way. She was duly terrified by his conduct.
“Unlawful controlled drugs have had a significant impact on him. When subject to them, he behaves in a way which is unacceptable, threatening and violent. It is quite apparent that she is still truly terrified of this man and what he might do.”