Teenager stabbed in broad daylight by youths over vaping goods

Dru Edwards and Yunus Maflahi were part of a group of at least five who attacked the boy after he had been approached to sell an item used for vaping, Wolverhampton Crown Court heard.

The teenager arrived on his moped at Hartlebury Road, Oldbury, at around 3.40pm.

But when he saw a friend of his was not there he carried on, later returning after another phone call.

The victim was then pushed from his moped and landed on the floor.

It was then he realised there was a group around him, the court was told yesterday.

The defendants, three of which cannot be named for legal reasons, stopped the victim as he tried to get up.

An unknown man then tried to take his moped but failed as it stalled, Mr Nicholas Smith, prosecuting, said.

“Vaping items were stolen from his bag before they ran off,” Mr Smith added.

“The victim then realised he had been stabbed to his right thigh.

“Passers-by took hold of him, called the ambulance service and the police.”

The victim had to have four stitches at the QE Hospital in Birmingham after the incident.

Mr Smith said the victim’s blood was later found on one of the defendant’s clothes.

Muflahi, aged 21, of Windwood Road, Rowley Regis, had been released from a ‘young person’s establishment’ a month earlier for a different offence, according to Mr David Iles, defending.

Ms Raj Punia, defending Edwards, 18, of Oldbury Road, Rowley Regis, said he was just 16 at the time of the offence, which occurred on December 21, 2016.

She said: “He hasn’t been involved in any robberies in crown court, and there has been a lack of further offending since.”

Muflahi pleaded guilty to affray and was handed a 12-month community order, 15 days of rehabilitation and 80 hours unpaid work.

Edwards also pleaded guilty to affray and was given a 12-month community order, 80 hours unpaid work and 20 days rehabilitation. Judge Amjad Nawaz said: “

It shows you really couldn’t care less who saw what you were doing.”