Teen stabbed in unprovoked attack in Walsall tells jury he was scared for his life

Giving evidence the victim, who was aged 16 at the time, told a trial the blade pierced his liver when he was attacked outside shops near the junction of Caldmore Road and Mount Street, in Caldmore, in Walsall, on February 24 last year.

Wolverhampton Crown Court heard that the youth was walking to a chip shop with a group of friends when he was approached by two other males, one of whom swore and asked "who are you looking at?"

The court heard that moments after replying that they were looking at him the victim was grabbed by one of them and then stabbed in the abdomen.

Giving evidence on the witness stand the victim said he felt "scared for his life" during the incident which happened at about 3.30pm.

Marshall Barnett, 19, is standing trial accused of wounding with intent.

Dean Easthope, prosecuting, said: "In this case we have CCTV which captures the whole incident which forms the basis of the charge that this defendant faces. From the prosecution's point of view this is a very straightforward case.

"The charge relates to a very serious assault. It was an unprovoked attack by two males on the complainant who was wounded with a large Rambo style knife."

"This is clearly a case of wounding with intent. This was an attack by two people. One of them was the defendant and another."

He told the jury that both the attackers were armed with knives. A 15-second video clip of the incident was played to the court and showed the victim and his friends walking into a shop opposite the Little Caldmore junction.

Mr Easthope said the other male grabbed the victim's hood and pulled him outside where a scuffle ensued. He said both attackers had knives tucked in their waistbands. He said one of the males in the victim's group produced a hammer which fell to the floor and it was at this point that he was stabbed once to the body.

The court heard that the hammer was also thrown at the victim and hit him on the head.

"He realises he is injured and bleeding. His friend helps him. At this point he collapses. He suffers cardiac arrest was resuscitated and taken to hospital in intensive care," he added.

"The prosecution's case is that even if it wasn't Mr Barnett who stabbed him, he was acting jointly - and vice versa," these two gents were acting together.

The victim said he spent a total of four weeks in hospital.

Barnett, of Redhouse Street, Palfrey, Walsall, denies wounding.