A jury has found 23‑year‑old Nathan Peters guilty of attempted murder following a series of unprovoked assaults in Altrincham in which one man was stabbed four times and went into cardiac arrest.
Violence on a night out
Prosecutors told the court the attacks began after Peters left the Tiki bar in the town in the early hours of Sunday 30 November last year. In a sequence of confrontations, Peters admitted assaulting three people and later attacked a group including Max Morrison, Harrison Brannan and two friends.
Jurors heard that Peters had already pleaded guilty to three counts of assault: he admitted ‘slashing’ the face of Mr Brannan, punching Marvin‑Jay Speakman and pushing Mr Speakman’s partner Melissa Mellor to the floor, causing actual bodily harm.
Stabbing and its aftermath
Evidence played to the court showed that when Peters encountered Mr Morrison and his companions he attacked again. Mr Brannan told police in a video interview, played to jurors, that after looking up from his phone he saw Peters and Mr Morrison fighting. The jury was told Peters stabbed Mr Morrison ‘several times’ and slashed Mr Brannan while he was trying to intervene.
Mr Morrison was stabbed on multiple occasions — four times, jurors were told — and collapsed nearby, subsequently going into cardiac arrest.
Narrow legal question for jury
Although Peters had admitted wounding with intent in relation to Mr Morrison, he denied the more serious charge of attempted murder. The trial centred on a narrow issue for jurors: whether Peters intended to kill Mr Morrison.
“The defendant, apparently himself on a night out, carried out a series of unprovoked attacks on people who had no connection with him and just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time,”
The comment was made by prosecuting counsel Jonathan Dickinson during the case against Peters.
What the verdict means for Altrincham
The jury returned a guilty verdict on the attempted murder charge on 23 October 2026. Sentencing will follow and the defendant faces a substantial custodial term given the severity of the offences, although a precise term has not yet been announced.
For residents and visitors, the case will raise fresh questions about night‑time safety in Altrincham town centre. The attacks involved multiple victims who, according to prosecutors, had no prior connection to the defendant and were targeted at random during a night out. Local businesses, venue operators and police will now be considering the implications for security and patrols at late‑night venues.
- Defendant: Nathan Peters, aged 23
- Victims mentioned: Max Morrison (stabbed four times), Harrison Brannan (slashed), Marvin‑Jay Speakman (punched), Melissa Mellor (pushed)
- Date of attacks: Early hours of Sunday, 30 November (previous year)
- Verdict: Guilty of attempted murder (jury verdict on 23 October 2026)
| Event | Details |
|---|---|
| Initial assaults | Punch to Marvin‑Jay Speakman; push of Melissa Mellor; slashing of Harrison Brannan |
| Stabbing | Max Morrison stabbed four times; collapsed and went into cardiac arrest |
| Legal outcome | Guilty verdict for attempted murder; sentencing pending |
Witness testimony and CCTV evidence were central to the prosecution’s case. The jury were asked to weigh whether the defendant intended to kill during the attack on Mr Morrison — a legal distinction that separates wounding with intent from attempted murder.
As sentencing is awaited, local people in Altrincham will be looking for reassurance from Greater Manchester Police and town centre venues about measures to prevent similar incidents. The court’s decision underlines the gravity with which the criminal justice system treats indiscriminate violence on the streets, and will be closely observed by residents and businesses concerned about safety late at night.
