Teenager Sentenced to Prison Following Southampton Stabbing

A 16 year old boy has been sentenced to two years and six months in prison after a stabbing incident that occurred earlier this year in Southampton.

On Friday, 19 May, the juvenile defendant, whose name remains confidential due to his age, was involved in a pre-arranged fist-fight on Perran Road with an 18 year old man. The altercation took a grim turn when the defendant stabbed the 18 year old in the chest before leaving the scene. The victim sought medical treatment and was eventually discharged from the hospital.

The 16 year old was subsequently arrested and charged with Section 18 – grievous bodily harm with intent and possession of an offensive weapon in a public place. Despite pleading not guilty, a jury found him guilty of Section 18 grievous bodily harm with intent last month, resulting in a 30 month prison sentence.

Detective Sergeant Gary Stamp of Southampton’s Criminal Investigation Department said: “The victim in this case survived the injuries inflicted on him, but the outcome could have been significantly worse.

“We are working hard to tackle knife crime in Southampton and will continue doing everything we can to ensure those responsible for such crimes are brought to justice.

“We regularly make proactive efforts to target knife carriers and remove weapons from the streets. This work won’t stop, and we hope that anyone thinking of carrying recognises that there are serious consequences both for themselves and others when they make that decision to pick up a weapon.”

Southampton Chief Inspector Chris Douglas said: “Carrying a knife will simply never be tolerated by police. Making that decision to pick up a bladed weapon creates the very real risk that you could kill or seriously injure someone. This case makes that shocking reality clear.

“We are working relentlessly to reduce knife crime in partnership with other key agencies in the city including Southampton City Council, the Youth Justice Service, the Violent Crime Reduction Unit and the Violent Crime Taskforce. Officers continue carrying out daily foot patrols in areas where knife crime is a concern, with hundreds of dedicated patrols having taken place over the past few months.

“We have also been conducting regular knife sweeps, educational talks in schools and a co-ordinated multi-agency response to establish long term solutions in relation to knife-related violence and re-offending.

“You can always be confident to report concerns you have about serious violence or people carrying weapons. You are our eyes and ears in the community and we can only prevent and tackle these incidents with your support.”

The message from the police is clear: the community’s support and vigilance are vital in preventing and addressing such incidents. The public are encouraged to report concerns about serious violence or individuals carrying weapons to the police. Reports can be made by calling 101 or visiting the Hampshire Police website via: www.hampshire.police.uk

Anonymous reporting can also be done via the Crimestoppers website or by calling them at 0800 555 111.

In cases of emergencies, such as a crime in progress or the likelihood of injury to someone, individuals are urged to call 999.