14-year-old attacks classmate with knife in Cirencester shop, receives youth court sentence
A 14-year-old boy stabbed a fellow student and the shopkeeper in a Cirencester store after she turned down his advances, later pleading guilty and receiving a referral order and restraining order.
On the morning of March 15, a 14-year-old boy waited outside a shop in Cirencester after learning that a classmate, also 14, was inside buying a drink. When she entered, he drew a kitchen knife from his pocket and launched a frenzied attack, stabbing her in the neck, face and hands and striking the shopkeeper in the back. CCTV footage shows the boy smashing the girl into a sweets rack twice before she escaped and raised the alarm.
Police found the knife in his jeans and a fresh hand wound, and he was detained close to the premises. At Bristol Crown Court, the youth pleaded guilty to wounding with intent, grievous bodily harm without intent and illegal possession of a blade, resulting in a 12-month referral order and a three-year restraining order. The victim described ongoing nightmares and fear of being alone, while Detective Superintendent Ian Fletcher warned the attack could easily have been fatal.
Why it matters
The case highlights the dangers of teen obsession and knife violence, prompting concerns about youth safety and restraining-order enforcement.
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