Gainsborough: The 16-year-old who stabbed a 17-year-old girl at a Gainsborough bus stop has been sentenced

A 16-year-old boy who stabbed a teenage girl after picking his victim at random has been given an 18 month sentence at Lincoln Crown Court.
Scene of stabbing at Gainsborough bus stationScene of stabbing at Gainsborough bus station
Scene of stabbing at Gainsborough bus station

The Gainsborough boy, described as an intelligent lad from a good home, went out armed with a kitchen knife aiming to hurt someone as a reaction to being excluded from a college course.

Phil Howes, prosecuting, said the boy made his way to Gainsborough bus station where he came across his 17 year old victim as she was chatting with her boyfriend.

Mr Howes said: “He selected at random the young girl and stabbed her in the back.”

“She was waiting at the bus station that morning to catch a bus to take her to Scunthorpe.”

“She was sat on a bench with her boyfriend and another girl.”

“She became aware of the defendant’s presence. She had known him for two to three years. She asked him how he was doing and he said he was alright.”

“Then she felt something hit her back. She cried out in pain. She was hit between the shoulder blades.”

The girl’s boyfriend gave emergency first aid applying pressure to her wound and the emergency services were alerted.

The attacker discarded the knife but remained nearby until police arrived.

When asked at the scene why he had done it, he said: “I was angry because I’d got kicked off my IT course at college.”

The 17-year-old victim was taken to the Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham, for treatment. Three stitches were inserted in the wound, which was described by doctors as superficial, and she was allowed to return home later the same day.

Later when he was interviewed by police officers he said he did not want to kill the girl. He spoke of what he perceived as the injustice and unfairness at being thrown off his college course.

He told officers: “I wanted to harm someone like I’d been hurt. I was angry.”

“It wasn’t supposed to be anyone in particular. I didn’t even try my hardest. I never intended it to be vicious.”

The boy, who cannot be identified because of a court order, admitted a charge of unlawful wounding as a result of the incident on the morning of 23rd September 2014. He was given an 18 month detention and training order. The boy was also given a two year restraining order preventing him contacting the victim and from entering an area of Gainsborough.

The court was told the maximum sentence available to the judge was a 24 month detention and training order and the four months that the boy has been held in custody had to be deducted from this.

Judge Michael Heath rejected a suggestion that he should impose a non-custodial sentence.

He told the boy: “I am urged to pass a non-custodial sentence. I cannot do that in the circumstances of this case. It is far too serious.”

“Any sentence other than custody would simply not reflect the gravity of what you did.”

Ian Way, defending, said the boy had no previous convictions or cautions.

Mr Way said: “Nothing I say can justify what he did.”

“The anger and distress festered and he came to what he recognises was a foolish and dangerous decision to take a knife from the kitchen and set off.”

“He says he didn’t mean to cause serious harm.”

“He is quiet, shy and reserved. Somebody who keeps himself to himself. He is academically bright with a future but that future has been put on hold and could be jeopardised irreparably depending on the sentence in these proceedings.”

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