Teenage knife attacker sent to jail as Lord Chief Justice slams 'unduly lenient' sentence - but we still can't tell you his name (From Richmond and Twickenham Times)

Teenage knife attacker sent to jail as Lord Chief Justice slams 'unduly lenient' sentence - but we still can't tell you his name

4:00pm Friday 12th March 2010 in

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A 14-year-old gang member who walked free from court after viciously stabbing another teenager six times has been jailed for three years by the Court of Appeal.

The youth, who cannot be named because of his age, launched a terrifying attack on the 15-year-old victim in Redlees Park, Isleworth, after accusing him of “snitching” on his friend for another knifing, which led to him being excluded from school.

The thug, now aged 15, had two blades hidden in his clothing when he went to the youth offending team (YOT) centre, in Worton Road, moments before he challenged the boy to a fight at 4.30pm on June 17 last year.

He was only stopped from killing the 15-year-old when a friend pulled him away as he tried to stab him in the face.

Judge Hezlett Colgan gave him a three-year intense supervision and surveilance order at Isleworth Crown Court on December 11 last year after the youth, who pleaded guilty to the attack, said he was “reformed”.

But Lord Igor Judge, the Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales, told the Court of Appeal yesterday: “We’ve come to the conclusion the appropriate sentence in this case was not the order made by the judge.

“It was, despite his care in coming to his decision, unduly lenient and significantly so.”

The yob’s mother wept as prison guards handcuffed the teenager and led him out of the court.

Lord Judge added: “We recognise our decision will be a huge disappointment to you all, but we had to examine this in the overall public interest, and the fact is that these offences are far too serious for us not to pass a substantial custodial sentence.”

The court heard the thug, who has carried out a string of violent crimes since he was aged 11, head-butted victim’s friend and waved a knife at him while shouting his gang’s name an hour before the stabbing.

The yob, from Chiswick, was at the Redlees Centre at 4.30pm when the same friend arrived. A member of staff was forced to step in when trouble flared inside the YOT centre.

The teenager then left and spotted the victim outside before repeatedly knifing him in the body and arms. Police later arrested the gang member after finding him bare-chested using his T-shirt to hide his hair.

Lord Judge said: “The history we’ve studied leads to the clear conclusion that the offender is and certainly was a dangerous young man.”

The victim, who has made a full physical recovery, was forced to leave his school and move house for fear of further attacks on him and his family.

His mother has changed her job, and they have fitted their home with security cameras and a panic alarm.

Thug had history of knife crime

Age 11

Convicted of robbery in January 2007 after wearing a balaclava to steal a mobile phone from his victim in the street. He was sentenced to an action plan order.

Age 12

Convicted of attempted robbery in September 2008 after stealing a mobile phone with three other youths. The victim was punched and slashed with a knife. He was sentenced to a six month supervision order.

Age 13

Four days after he was sentenced for attempted robbery, he committed an offence of battery. He was sentenced in March 2009 to a further supervision order.

He committed another offence of battery in December 2008. He was sentenced in April 2009 to another supervision order.

Age 14

Punched a middle-aged man in the face, breaking his nose, when he comlpained about his bad language in January 2009.

Carried out a knifepoint robbery on three boys in June 2009. Two days after he was bailed by police he repeatedly stabbed a 15-year-old boy in Redlees Park.

Lord Igor Judge said: “These were very serious offences committed by someone who, although no doubt was very young, had been given chance after chance after chance, all of which had been rejected.”

Press barred from naming teen

The Court of Appeal refused an application from the Hounslow and Brentford Times to name the youth.

Lord Igor Judge decided to protect the teenager’s anonymity after hearing he was in danger of reprisal attacks.

Jonah Walker-Smith, defending, said threats had been made to the teenager on the internet.

He said: “The culture in which he was moving at the time these offences were committed, the peer group in which he was moving, was an anti-social peer group.

“He has moved away from that now but there maybe others in that group that still have it in for him, or other groups that still have it in for him.”

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