Overview

• Jurors at Preston Crown Court concluded that John Cowen stabbed Thomas Carey and unlawfully possessed two knives during a fan tournament in Blackpool on September 14, 2024.
• Judge Guy Mathieson ruled Cowen unfit to stand trial following assessments by two psychiatrists, so the jury considered only whether he performed the acts alleged rather than his intent.
• CCTV and witness testimony described Cowen entering the Wainwright Social Club with a knife, making a growling noise, running toward Carey and stabbing him in the upper arm before attendees subdued him.
• Police found a second identical kitchen knife during Cowen’s arrest, and Carey received hospital treatment with steri-strips for a bicep wound that left a scar.
• Cowen attended via video link from Guild Lodge secure psychiatric unit, and evidence referenced his resentment over others practicing on an app, with further psychiatric reports to guide the court’s disposal.