Teenagers turned a West Midlands shopping centre into blood-splattered 'warzone' during Samurai sword attack

The two 17-year-olds were just 14 when they travelled from Worcestershire to Stourbridge armed with a Samurai sword and a hunting knife in Tuesday, March 2022. 

They were intent on attacking another group of boys and one wore three pairs of trousers in preparation for a knife fight. After spotting a group of boys and girls at the Ryemarket Shopping Centre the pair followed them into a lift. 

Inside the lift they stabbed a 15-year-old boy six times, twice in the arm, twice in the buttock and twice in the thigh. Their victim was flown to hospital by air ambulance required emergency surgery and spent several days in hospital. It was described as "a miracle he lived". 

Wolverhampton Crown Court was shown CCTV of the pair leaving the lift and then one impaling himself on his own Samurai sword and writhing around in blood on the floor. He was rushed to hospital requiring emergency treatment. The shopping centre was forced to close for nearly 36 hours after the incident which left many shocked.

Justice Michael Chambers KC described the scene as "a warzone in front of members of the public going about their business".

One of the boys hid his knife before returning to help his friend. When arrested after a raid on one of their homes the police found 21 offensive weapons in his bedroom including machetes and hunting knives. 

The pair gave no comment in interviews and denied their guilt throughout a trial which eventually found them guilty. 

The boys, who cannot be named, were sentenced today (Wednesday) after being found guilty of wounding with intent and possessing a blade in a public place at a youth court trial.

The victim, now 18, told the court in a victim impact statement: "I can no longer go out in public on my own. I suffer from anxiety. I do not like going out with my friends as I am always wary of my surroundings. I should be enjoying my life as a teenager but cannot because of what happened."

The court heard one boy had a previous caution for possessing a blade in public and the other had been charged with possession of class A drugs with intent to supply. They had been remanded in custody at the end of their trial in November.

In mitigation, the court heard the boys suffered from various mental health problems including ADHD and anxiety. 

Judge Chambers KC said: "This case involves the tragic circumstances of youths in the West Midlands who travel from one part to another with knives to settle disputes in public.

"This distresses of the public who are rightly concerned about these types of crimes. However, this sentence will not make an example of you but clearly passes the custodial threshold even taking into account the guidelines when sentencing youths. 

"You were only 14 at the time and are 17 now. You expressed your right to no comment and the trial became protracted because one of sought to contend you were the victim and another denied you were present."

"You were armed with vicious weapons, Samurai sword with a lengthy blade, one of you wore three pairs of trousers and padding, and the other went armed with a hunting knife."

He added: "There was confrontation in a lift and as a result the victim was stabbed six times. You are both equally to blame for what happened in that lift.

"The CCTV showed a normal Tuesday afternoon at 5.30pm with members public doing their shopping and there one of you are in a pool of blood with a Samurai Sword sticking out of from your thigh."

Both boys were sentenced to two years and eight months in prison.