Boy repeatedly stabbed man after he agreed to buy them Rizla papers from shop
A man bought a gang of teenagers Rizla papers from a shop before being stabbed in the head and back by a 14-year-old boy. The victim was left with "horrible" injuries and permanently scarred after being chased down the street by a pack of youths and attacked with a hunting knife . The armed teen's friends urged the boy to "chop him up" before he carried out the brutal assault on the man's own doorstep. As reported by the Echo , a judge today told how the man could have been killed during the shocking episode of violence. Liverpool Crown Court heard the youth, who cannot be named for legal reasons, committed a series of offences over a "short space of time" between September and December last year. One incident saw the now 15-year-old carry out "unprovoked" assaults against three members of staff at the care home where he was residing, as well as damaging an internal door. Helen Chenery, prosecuting , described how the boy had been talking to a friend on FaceTime in a communal area of the premises when he was "asked to calm down" by one of the workers. However, he responded by racially abusing the carer before attempting to headbutt and bite him, kicking him to the shins and repeatedly punching him to the head and body. After a colleague "distracted him by engaging him in conversation about football", the teen then "calmed down for about 20 minutes". However, he then "turned his attention back" to the first staff member, hurling further slurs at him while aiming "four forceful kicks" at the door of an office which he had "barricaded himself" inside. This door then "splintered", enabling the boy to punch him to the head and body a further eight times. The other employee and a third female worker then intervened, although the youth bit the former to his forearm and punched him twice to his left eye before spitting in the face of the latter. He went on to make further racially abusive comments concerning the woman's husband and "gloated" to his friend over the phone that he had "given a shiner" to the man. He was left with bruising around his eye as a result of the incident. Ms Chenery then went on to detail how a man named Peter Gabriel was walking to meet a friend on Breckfield Road North in Everton at around 5pm on December 1 when he noticed three youths, including the defendant, near to a shop on this street. He agreed to go into the convenience store to "buy some Rizlas" for the group, who "gave him some loose change to make the purchase". Having handed these items over, he was then "asked whether he wanted to join them while they sold cannabis ". Having followed them around corner, however, Mr Gabriel was then punched to the chin by one of the boys, causing him to fall backwards. He was then chased towards his home on Handfield Street by all three as they "challenged him as to why he was in the area", with one warning him "go before I stab you in the neck lad". The defendant thereafter produced a "hunting style knife" with an eight-inch blade from a sheath and used it to strike the victim four to five times to the back. These blows caused Mr Gabriel to stumble to the floor and left him "screaming for help". The other boys were heard "encouraging the attack" by shouting "stab him, chop him up" before the youth approached him once more and stabbed him in the head. His attackers then fled as neighbours rushed to his aid. Mr Gabriel was said to have suffered a "number of stab wounds to the back" which were closed with sutures, although the "most significant injury" was sustained to the top of his head. Another inciden t followed on December 20, when a 76-year-old man, whom the ECHO has chosen not to name, was alone at his home in Anfield watching television at around 10.15pm. The pensioner then "heard a loud bang" as his ground floor window was smashed. Three males subsequently entered the address through the broken window, with the defendant being one and the two others reportedly being adults who were "significantly older". One of the men went on to brandish a hammer towards the OAP while demanding money. The victim ultimately handed over £240 from his pocket as a result of these threats, while a second offender took the keys to his £25,000 Jaguar car from his briefcase. All three then climbed back out of the address via the broken window and "sped away" inside the vehicle. This car was subsequently written off after being involved in a head-on crash later the same evening. The defendant, who suffered serious injuries including a broken leg in the collision, was found in the front passenger in possession of £50 in cash, the complainant's wallet and a knife. He has one previous conviction for three charges of theft and assaulting an emergency services worker, for which he received a youth referral order in August 2024. Martine Snowdon, defending, told the court : "He is only just 15 years old. There are some very real features of his upbringing and circumstances that bear on his behaviour last year and the prospects of his rehabilitation, his dangers and risks and how long it will take to achieve that rehabilitation. "For somebody who has had a number of disadvantages in life at a formative stage, when he has, under the secure accommodation routine, been presented with structure and opportunities, he has grabbed them with both hands and is doing very well. That is the first time he has ever had that environment, that sort of opportunity. "He has hopes for the future, and it is perhaps impressive and insightful that somebody of his age has an ambition, at this stage, to want to be a support worker or carer, in the sort of the role of the people who he now appreciates have helped him in this system. That is, in itself, commendable. "It is a very impressive and positive sign to come from somebody in his position at his stage. The court can have confidence that he is a young man at a stage in his life where he is going to be rehabilitated." The youth admitted robbery, theft of a motor vehicle, possession of a bladed article in a public place, two counts of racially aggravated assault, assault, criminal damage and possession of cannabis in relation to a small quantity of the class B drug which was seized from him during an unrelated arrest in October 2024. He was found guilty of wounding with intent following a trial before the youth court. Appearing in the dock wearing a black shirt, he was handed four years and seven months in youth detention. Judge David Potter said that this term would have been one of 10 years if the offences had been committed by an adult. He added in his sentencing remarks: "I have seen the injuries. They are horrible. One stab wound is enough to kill a man. Mr Gabriel was extremely lucky not to be more seriously injured or worse, killed. "You led the charge on Mr Gabriel and used a highly dangerous weapon to inflict injuries. Mr Gabriel did suffer a grave injury. It has caused no doubt permanent scarring. "You are still very young. You have the capacity to grow and mature. I have read a lot about your background. I accept that you have had a very difficult start to life and that your experiences have affected you and your opportunities in life. "You have also been using cannabis since before you were aged 10. I have seen for myself how damaging cannabis can be on people's mental health. It also leads to crime and violence. You need to think very carefully in the future about your use of cannabis. "There is a lot that is positive about you. It is good that you are engaging well with education and mental health support. It is positive that you have seemingly accepted that you need help to ensure that there are no further victims."
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He lied to his girlfriend that his mum had died and he needed thousands of pounds for the funeral
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