Teenager admits city centre stabbing

A 15-year-old boy who stabbed another teenager in Leicester city centre – before being arrested by police just moments later – has admitted causing grievous bodily harm.

The boy, who was 14 at the time and cannot be named for legal reasons, stabbed his victim in Market Street on the evening of 1 February this year. After doing so, he then ran off towards Cheapside, High Street and then East Gates. The boy then made it to Church Gate, where he discarded the knife.

However, unbeknown to the boy, CCTV operators had become aware of his actions, having spotted him arguing with the victim beforehand. They were then able to guide officers to the boy’s whereabouts and he was promptly arrested.

At Leicester Crown Court yesterday (Tuesday 9 August) he also pleaded guilty to possession of a bladed article in a public place.

He is due to be sentenced at Leicester Youth Court at a later date.

The victim, who is now 16, was taken to hospital to be treated for injuries that were not life-threatening or life-changing.

Detective Constable Josh Evans, from Central Leicester CID, was the investigating officer. He said: “Thanks to CCTV operators being alert to what was going on, the boy was arrested just moments after committing his crime. Thankfully his actions didn’t have more serious consequences.

“We continue to take a zero-tolerance approach to knife crime and I hope this case serves as a warning to young people who think it’s acceptable to carry and use knives that we will bring perpetrators to justice.”

**A dedicated team set up in force – the Violence and Complex Crime Unit – continues to focus on preventing and tackling violent crime. The team works closely with the Violence Reduction Network (VRN) and other partners and is supported by additional Government funding aimed at addressing violent crime. 

This includes raising awareness of knife crime and providing advice and support to people concerned about knife crime.

If you're a young person concerned about knife crime you can visit www.livesafe.org.uk/livesnotknives

If you’re a parent or carer concerned about knife crime, visit Knife crime advice for parents | LiveSafe

For more information on the work of the VCCU, visit Police team set up to tackle violent crime marks two year anniversary | Leicestershire Police (leics.police.uk)