A SALFORD man has been jailed for nine years following a horrific machete attack on an unarmed taxi driver.

Manchester Crown Court heard how Kieran Shortman, 36, and another unnamed man leaped out of a stolen Peugeot in Whitefield before repeatedly slashing Daniel Rothwell leaving him with "horrible injuries" to his head and face.

The men later tried to destroy the Peugeot in the car park of a Prestwich hotel by setting it on fire but their crimes were discovered after the car's dashcam was recovered from the wreckage.

Colette Renton, prosecuting, described how a dashcam had been reported stolen from a vehicle on Mersey Drive in Whitefield between 2.45pm and 3.45pm on September 4 2020.

On the same road at around 4pm, two men were captured on a neighbour's CCTV getting out of a black Peugeot 3008 and approaching Mr Rothwell.

One was wearing shorts while Shortman was in long trousers with both seen holding machetes.

A "vicious attack" began in which Rothwell was hit repeatedly with the machetes and fell to the ground.

The victim was taken to hospital by an ambulance after passers by called 999 and he was found to have "serious injuries" including a "large head injury", the court heard.

Police officers attended the scene and Ms Renton described how they found a "pool of blood" where the incident took place.

Later that afternoon, staff at the Fairways Lodge hotel in Prestwich reported that a vehicle was on fire in their car park.

CCTV confirmed it was the Peugeot and one of the staff members was able to remove a dashcam from the car before the fire service arrived.

The footage was obtained and showed Shortman sitting in the car while talking to two other men about attacking somebody and how best they should set fire to the car.

“It is clear from the contents of the conversation that the people inside the car had the intention to attack somebody and even gloated that they would make it look like a robbery," said Ms Renton.

Investigations revealed the Peugeot had false plates and was stolen while the dashcam was also identified as the one reported taken on Mersey Drive.

The fire in the car was also found to have been started deliberately.

Shortman was later arrested at his home address at Newbank Tower, Bridgewater Street, Salford, but he denied all charges and was later convicted by a jury of section 18 wounding with intent, possession of an offensive weapon and arson.

Ms Renton added that Shortman had 25 previous convictions for 28 offences and had served a 64 month jail sentence in 2017 following a spate of ATM attacks as well as an eight year sentence in 2008 for robbery.

He had been on licence at the time of the latest offences.

Michael James, defending, said Shortman did not accept his guilt and he had even written a letter to the judge describing how he had been present but did not carry out the attack.

"I can't get around that," said Mr James, who said the victim had been uncooperative with police officers and had discharged himself from hospital the same day as the attack.

He said that Shortman, a father of one, had only learnt to read and write while in prison.

"He has now realised he needs to grow up and knows he will miss the formative years of his young son," added Mr James.

Passing sentence, Judge Hilary Manley, said Shortman had displayed "breathtaking audacity" throughout the offences and subsequent trial.

"This was a planned, brazen, targeted attack in broad daylight in a residential area," she said. "It left the victim with horrible injuries to his head and face and the dashcam footage made for disturbing viewing and listening with you gloating and laughing about what you had done."

Shortman was handed nine years in custody and must serve two thirds of his sentence before being considered for parole.

He will then spend a period of three years on licence.