William Cowley’s victim said his actions will stay with her for the rest of her life
21:14, 25 Apr 2025Updated 21:15, 25 Apr 2025
William Cowley, of Park Terrace, Waterloo(Image: Merseyside police)
A man who was thrown out of a pub after “bothering” a woman carried out an horrific revenge attack. William Cowley, 27, flew into a rage after being turned out of Parnell’s Sports Bar on South Road, Waterloo, in the early hours of August 31 last year.
He ran back to his house some 10 minutes away and armed himself with a chisel. He then returned to the pub, where he approached a female member of door staff and stabbed her in the back.
The victim, Kelly Smith, suffered a single stab wound to her upper back, causing serious nerve damage and tauticollis, an extremely painful condition causing the neck to twist abnormally.
Another member of Parnell’s staff, Liam Harding, tried to rush to Ms Smith’s aid, but was also stabbed by Cowley in the leg. Liverpool Crown Court heard the incident began after a woman complained to staff that Cowley had been “bothering” a female friend, causing the 27-year-old to be removed from the venue.
Cowley denied wounding Ms Smith with intent, but was found guilty of the charge following a trial. He was also found guilty of wounding Mr Harding without intent, and of being in possession of an offensive weapon.
In a victim statement, read out at Cowley’s sentencing today, April 25, Ms Smith said the attack had left her in “excruciating pain on a daily basis”, and she was unable to carry on working as a doorwoman due to feeling “constantly paranoid”.
She said: “I struggle to sleep. I just can’t switch off. The attack plays over and over in my head. I terrifies me that I could have been killed and my children would have been left without a mum. I honestly believe he could have killed me. The trauma I have suffered as a result of this senseless attack will stay with me for the rest of my life.”
The court heard Cowley faced an extended prison sentence due to his criminal history, which included a five-year sentence for stabbing another teenager after a gang war shooting in Crosby in 2015.
Julian Nutter, defending Cowley, said: “He does, albeit belatedly, admit remorse. He comes from a respectable family, a hardworking family of decent people who are themselves terrified that he has got himself into this trouble.
“Since the trial and the experience of that, he has come down with a thump and has come to the conclusion he cannot continue in this way. That’s a very important thing – it’s a start.
“I don’t seek to oppose the orders the court seeks to make against him. But he has done everything in his power now to be realistic, to apologise to the victims, to express remorse and to apologise for having brought this process in the first place.”
Sentencing Cowley, Judge Denis Watson said: “You were removed from (Parnell’s) bar by Liam Harding, and you were put out of that bar. What followed in the minutes after your rejection, seen on CCTV at 1.49am, was that you ran home to arm yourself with a chisel.
“You then immediately ran back to the bar. The distance between that bar and your home is such that you could only have covered the distance if you were hurrying.
“You returned with your chisel and your dog, and you were intent on revenge for the rejection you were humiliated by. Although Mr Harding was not immediately in your view, you were determined to blame any member of door staff you could find.
“The first person you did find was Kelly Smith, who was standing outside on her own. And without any warning, you ran up to her, raised the chisel and struck down at her.”
He added: “You have not committed one offence of wounding, but two – the offence of wounding Liam Harding.
“You have said you apologise for not being able to see your guilt on the charges until recently. You understand why you have been convicted and you’re frustrated because your actions have put you in a place where you do not want to be.
“The submission that this means you have turned a corner is something I’m unable to accept. This is a further example of very short-term thinking on your behalf. You had many months when you were aware of what the Crown were saying of the events, and you chose to run this as a trial.
“I hope that your apology represented the start of your journey of remorse. But this letter presented at this stage is one which, regrettably, I’m unable to attach any significant weight to.”
He sentenced Cowley, of Park Terrace, Waterloo, to a 15-year extended prison sentence, comprising 10 years in custody and an extended five years on licence. He also made a serious violence reduction order, giving police powers to stop and search Cowley for weapons at any time for two years following his release from prison.
He also passed a restraining order banning the defendant from contacting Kelly Smith, or entering Parnell’s Sports Bar on South Road, Waterloo.