A teenager was stabbed on his way to school by a mugger who claimed his trainers. Jamal Adam-Neale told an unidentified accomplice ‘give me the knife, I’ll do it’ before ‘casually’ stabbing the teenager twice.
He was later arrested after police spotted him riding his hidden bike in Liverpool city centre. He dropped the knife from his shorts. A judge warned the thug he could be looking at a life sentence if he commits further violent crimes.
Liverpool Crown Court heard that the victim was on his way to school on Smithdown Road at around 7am on May 20 to prepare for his GCSE exam. He noticed two men on bicycles waiting for him near a bus stop at the junction with Alderson Road in Wavertree.
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Arthur Gibson, prosecuting, told how one of the attackers grabbed the boy and threatened him with a flick knife, demanding his bank cards and trainers. When he refused, Adam-Neale told his partner: “Give me the knife, I’ll do it.”
The 19-year-old man, of no fixed address, was caught on CCTV ‘pushing towards his victim’s torso’. Although the first strike missed, the second attempt hit the boy’s right upper arm, reports the Liverpool Echo.
The two attackers fled on their bikes, and the victim managed to run home. He was taken to hospital for treatment of a 1cm wound which required stitches.
In a statement read out in court, the victim said the robbery missed his examination and left a scar near his bicep. “A few times at school, the experience came back to me and I have to leave the room,” he said.
“I was going to school to have a review and an examination but I ended up going to the hospital. I could have died because the injury was near an artery, and it could have been very worse.”
Adam-Neale wore a ‘distinctive jacket’ during the attack, which was caught on CCTV. He was later seen in the same jacket on Nelson Street in Chinatown around 2.45pm, riding a bicycle that appeared to have blood stains on it.
The teenager was arrested, and during a search, the knife used in the attack – identifiable by the words ‘cold steel’ on the blade – fell from his shorts. Adam-Neale’s criminal history includes a four-month sentence for carrying a blade in public in 2021 and a subsequent 52-month sentence for wounding with intent.
Matthew O’Neill, defending, said: “There is no doubt that this was a terrible experience, unfortunately the injury was not as serious as it could have been. He is a young man. He is someone who has suffered a traumatic experience as a child.At the age of five, his mother died sadly and suddenly.
“He was then put into the care system for a number of years, until his father was able to take care of him. He’s someone who clearly has anger issues, but he’s motivated. We’ve found the point now. where, he tells me, his time in prison will be used as productively as possible, and he is keen to make sure he comes out a better person so that he stays away from committing crime in the future Adam’s personality -Neale.
“Unfortunately, until he addresses his anger issues, he will continue to be a danger to the public. We can work with the defendant in custody to address these issues.”
Adam-Neale pleaded guilty to wounding with intent; attempted robbery; and having a covered article in a public place. Dressed in a turquoise Under Armor shirt in the dock, he received a six-year sentence with an additional three years on licence.
Judge David Potter said: “He was lucky to get a pass from you and someone else. No sooner had he passed than you decided to rob him. His bank cards and trainers were demanded from him at knife point. He refused. .Deliberately you asked him. The first stab was aimed at his torso.
“There was no connection to that, but the second went into his upper arm. It caused a wound that required no medical treatment other than to close the wound with stitches, but there is clearly a risk of serious injury and he is clearly on you intend to do him great harm by pleading guilty.
“He reflects on this incident and thinks he could have died or suffered more serious injuries. He has struggled to sleep and lost his appetite, and his mother is very worried. knife crime is clearly still a substantial issue on Merseyside It has a devastating impact on the lives of victims, families and communities – not just through life-changing injuries, both physical and mental trauma.
“You are still a young man. I take into account your experiences as a child. I take it that since you were remanded in custody you have made constructive use of your time and I hope you will use this sentence in a way that will mean you are less likely to offend when you are released.
“I must warn you. If you commit a further offense of breaching section 18, you will be sentenced to life.