Man who was part of knife attack in Walsall found guilty
A man who caused a teenager serious injuries in an unprovoked knife attack during lockdown has been found guilty off the offence.
The victim, then 16, was left fighting for his life when he was stabbed in the abdomen during a confrontation with two strangers outside shops near the junction of Caldmore Road and Mount Street, in Caldmore, in Walsall, on February 24 last year.
Marshall Bennett, 20, who was carrying a knife had denied a charge of wounding with intent, telling the jury that a 17-year-old youth, who was with him at the time was the one responsible for the stabbing.
But the jury agreed with the prosecution's case was that they were both involved and it was a case of joint enterprise. Following a trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court the jurors found him guilty in a unanimous verdict on Friday afternoon.(9)
The injured youth was walking to a chip shop with a group of friends when he was approached by the pair, who he did not recognise, and the younger male asked him “who are you looking at?” Moments after replying that they were looking at him, the victim was grabbed by and then stabbed.
He suffered cuts including to his liver. Giving evidence in court the victim said he felt “scared for his life” when he realised that his attackers were armed with weapons during the incident which happened at about 3.30pm. After he was stabbed he tried to run away and was struck on the head with an hammer which the court heard had been initially produced by one of the males in the victim's group.
The violence unfolded in the space of about 15 seconds was captured by closed circuit cameras in the vicinity.
Shortly afterwards the victim collapsed bleeding on the pavement as his mother and uncle arrived at the scene. He suffered cardiac arrest and was resuscitated by paramedics before being taken to hospital for surgery.
The jury was told during Barnett's trial that the other male, who cannot be named due to his age, previously pleaded guilty to the same charge.
Mr Recorder Simon Gurney thanked the jury for its service and adjourned the matter. Barnett, of Redhouse Street, Palfrey, Walsall, who was aged 18 at the time of the incident, and the 17-year-old will be sentenced in the new year.
