Boy plunged knife into man during fight in Newsham Park, then claimed it was self-defense

The teenager, who cannot be named, will serve an extended period on license due to his history of carrying knives.

A “dangerous” teenager with a history of carrying knives plunged the weapon into a man while his back was turned during a fight in Newsham Park. The 15-year-old boy, who the ECHO cannot name due to his age, left his victim staggering and collapsing after stabbing her twice on August 19 this year.

The teenager then tried to lie to police and claimed he had acted in self-defense. However, this application was refused and the boy was charged and presented at Liverpool Crown Court for sentencing this afternoon, Monday December 16.

William Beardmore, prosecuting, told the court that victim Harvey Wood, 19, saw the defendant, who he had known for around two years, enter Murphy’s Wine on Prescot Road on the night of the incident. Mr Wood followed the defendant, who was with friends, into the store to ask him the whereabouts of a bicycle he had recently purchased from an associate.

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Mr Beardmore told the court the defendant became confrontational and there was “shoving”. The defendant told Mr Wood to then follow him to Newsham Park for a fight. The court heard CCTV showed the two men and the defendant’s friends entering the park at 5.46pm before arriving near the music stand around a minute later.

The court heard how one of the defendant’s friends, David Whiteley, said something to Mr Wood which made him turn around. Mr Beardmore said that when he turned towards the defendant he saw him holding a knife. The prosecutor said: “Mr Wood punched the defendant and they fell to the ground.

“Mr Wood took possession of the knife, but as he turned to throw it away, another friend of the accused passed him another knife.” The court heard the teenager stabbed Mr Wood twice in the chest. Further CCTV time-stamped at 5.49pm showed Mr Wood staggering away while holding his chest before collapsing.

The court heard Mr Whiteley initially gave him first aid before paramedics arrived at 5.55pm. His breathing was described as slow and he had two obvious injuries to his left side.

He was taken to Aintree University Hospital where it was found that one lung had been lacerated, causing blood to flow into the chest cavity, while a “through and through” perforation of his small intestine had caused a pulmonary embolism. He underwent surgery before spending a further four days in the hospital’s intensive care unit.

Mr Beardmore told the court the defendant had three previous convictions for six offenses between 2023 and the present. These included robbery, causing bodily harm and threatening with a sharp object. The court heard he was subject to a 24-month youth rehabilitation order at the time of his most recent offence.

The teenager was initially charged with attempted murder and was remanded in custody three days after the incident. He later pleaded guilty to the alternative charge of wounding and possessing a sharp article in a public place on November 18.

In mitigation, Daniel Travers, defending, told the court his client “is devastated and is truly sorry for what he has done”. He added: “He understands how serious this is and would like to make amends with Harvey Wood. »

The court then heard the accused was dating boys considerably older than him and a psychological report revealed significant cognitive problems. Mr Travers told the court he could not say much about his client’s previous offenses but added: “He proudly told me he had achieved ‘champion’ status while in custody .”

The court heard the teenager had gained certificates in English, maths, science and sport since being held on remand. Mr Travers added: “He misses time with his siblings. He was able to communicate with them on the phone.

Mr Travers told the court it was a maximum credit case due to his client’s guilty pleas, but Judge Stuart Driver KC disagreed and said the teenager had given “a false statement that the victim was threatening him with a knife and that it was self-defense.” » during his interrogation by the police. The judge instead said the maximum sentence reduction would be 25%.

As for whether or not the teenager was dangerous, Mr Travers said: “We hope the risk to the public will be reduced because whatever the sentence, it will undoubtedly be a long period of detention.” Even if it is considered dangerous, its duration will be sufficient to protect the public.

Sentencing, Judge Driver concluded the teenager posed a significant risk of causing further harm, adding: “An extended sentence is necessary for the protection of the public. » The court found that for an adult, the starting point for this type of offense would be 12 years’ imprisonment.

The judge added that there were significant aggravating factors, including the use of two weapons and the teenager’s previous convictions. He said: “For an adult they would increase the sentence, but he’s not an adult. » Instead, he said the teenager suffered significant impairment due to being a vulnerable child with a history of learning difficulties.

He sentenced the teenager, who wore a gray suit, green tie and dark brown hair, to four and a half years in prison with an extended license of four years. Judge Driver said: “This was a very serious crime and you have carried knives before. I have decided that the public must be protected from you in the future. A 10-year restraining order was also imposed, preventing the teenager, supported in court by several members of his family, from contacting his victim.