The victim’s girlfriend, aged only 14, was also knifed in the chest during the incident on Whitefield Drive in Kirkby – a 15-year-old boy said ‘I’m going to die’ after being stabbed 11 times
A teenager has been found guilty of attempted murder after stabbing a 15 year old boy 11 times. The victim’s girlfriend, just 14 years old, was also knifed in the chest during the shocking attack on Whitefield Drive in Kirkby.
The confrontation on the evening of April 30 this year was reportedly sparked by revenge for an earlier clash, which resulted in one of the defendant’s mates sustaining a head wound after being battered with a metal pole.
A youth, who is also aged 15 and cannot be identified for legal reasons, faced trial at Liverpool Crown Court on charges including attempted murder. He was convicted of this charge by a jury of six men and six women this afternoon, Wednesday, reports the Liverpool Echo.
The verdict was delivered by a majority of 11 to one following eight hours and 15 minutes of deliberations. Nevertheless, he was acquitted of wounding with intent regarding the girl.
He had already pleaded guilty to the lesser charges of wounding the boy with intent and unlawful wounding concerning the second victim. The youth will now face sentencing on November 26 and was remanded back into youth custody until this date.
Judge Neil Flewitt KC, who oversaw the trial, excused the jury from further service for 10 years, stating: “So far as the case is concerned, because he is such a young man, I am going to have to have some reports to determine the appropriate way of dealing with him. The likelihood is that he will be staying [in youth detention] for some time.
“It is not uncommon, but it is unusual, for us to be dealing with defendants who are so young, charged with offences which are so serious. I am under no illusion how difficult it must be listening to the evidence in this sort of case, particularly watching that particularly harrowing footage.
“Please do not think in any way that we underestimate what you have been through. The system would not work without the work you have done over the past week or so. We are grateful for that. Thank you very much indeed.”
With the jury absent, Judge Flewitt then addressed the legal teams: “[There are] two issues that I particularly want you to address. The first is Section 250 of the Sentencing Act and the provisions for dangerous offenders. I will obviously need to consider that.
“The other issue is this. I don’t know whether either of you has looked at the guideline for attempted murder. Category A, very high culpability, has as a characteristic, the attempted murder of a child. Technically, that is what we have here. Whether it was ever intended to cover this situation is a matter that we will need to look into.”
Dressed in glasses and a shirt and tie beneath a blue tracksuit top, the teenager embraced his father, who had been permitted to remain beside him throughout the proceedings, as he was escorted to the cells after the judge informed him: “You understand that the jury have convicted you of attempted murder. As I am sure Mr [his counsel, Julian] Nutter has explained to you, that means you will have to spend quite a lot longer in custody. I will make a decision and tell you that decision on the 26th of November.”
The court had earlier been shown CCTV footage of the attack, which revealed the defendant and an associate approaching the two victims and another girl at a bus stop on Whitefield Drive. The boy who was stabbed subsequently picked up a discarded bottle from the ground, before declaring: “Which one yous? I’ll f****** bury the both of yous. What? What? What? I’ll stab you to bits. What? What? What?”.
Nevertheless, as he moved towards the second lad, the defendant was captured approaching from behind before unleashing his assault with a blade which he seemed to have retrieved from his waistband. The footage recorded a succession of shrieks as the then 14 year old delivered the stab wounds and booted him in the head whilst yelling: “Stupid b******. Stupid c***. Stupid little c***. Little t***”
A girl was then heard screaming “you’ve stabbed [the female victim’s name]” as the youth and his mate bolted on foot.
The wounded lad was left with a shocking 11 stab wounds after the attack, including damage to his liver and kidney.
Meanwhile, the girl suffered a single knife blow to her chest that punctured her lung. Both youngsters needed surgery under general anaesthetic due to their injuries, though they thankfully went on to make full recoveries.
The knifing reportedly stemmed from an earlier confrontation in an area called the Alt, just off nearby Tithe Barn Lane, where the injured boy allegedly hurled a metal pole at another pal of the accused. He was rushed to hospital for treatment to a gash on his forehead following this initial clash.
The defendant, who has a clean record, was nicked at his home address shortly after 9.30pm that same evening. He later claimed to detectives that he had “never met [the other boy] before” during questioning the next day.
Prosecutor Arthur Gibson presented a series of witness statements to the jury, including one from Michael Pugh, the licensee of the nearby Johnny Todd pub. In his account, he recalled: “At approximately half past eight, a member of the public, who I don’t know, entered the pub and stated ‘two kids have been stabbed outside the pub’. I’ve reacted by grabbing the first aid pack and the stab pack that the pub has behind the bar for emergencies. I’ve seen a young female, who I’ve seen being helped by Paula Pierce, the bar manager.
“I’ve seen a young male being helped by an old man, who I don’t know. I’ve run to the young male, who had towels and jackets pressed to his side. I checked the back of the male and noticed three puncture wounds. I told the old gentleman to keep pressure on the dressings.
“There was blood dripping onto my leg. It was coming from his arm. I noticed three stab wounds. I dressed the young male’s arm and maintained pressure onto it.
“I noticed the young man go dead grey and pale, and he tried to go to sleep. I kept trying to talk to him to keep him responsive. I reassured him, ‘you’re safe, you’re in shock, you’re not going anywhere’.”
Mr Pugh also shared that he asked the lad who had attacked him, to which the boy responded “I’m no grass”. Ms Pierce, in her own statement, said she was strolling along Whitefield Drive when she witnessed an “altercation” outside the Go Local Extra convenience store and heard cries of: “Help, help.”
She recounted: “I saw a group of five people, youths, shouting and screaming. I heard a female shouting ‘get off him’. Two people were lying on the floor. I knew straight away they’d been stabbed. The blood was everywhere.”
Another man, Dennis McKee, who also rushed to help the boy, had walked to the same shop with his granddaughter and dog, leaving both outside as he went inside. However, while perusing the aisles, he stated: “I heard a sound that I recognised as a girl screaming. Soon after, I heard a lad screaming. I could see a lad on the floor and a person standing over the male, striking him.
“My first thought was to get to my granddaughter. He was crying out, ‘I’m dying, I can’t see’. I kept talking to him, telling him help was on the way.”
The boy, giving evidence in court, claimed he only intended to “batter” his victim, whom he labelled a “bully” who had previously “caused fires and mayhem” and had been seen on social media wielding machetes. From the witness box, he added: “As I was going up the road, I got shouted, and one of my neighbours said ‘listen that [victim] is a bully and he carries knives’, and he handed me the knife.”
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