Yahoo News Boy, 16, stabbed on his way to GCSE exam by men who demanded he hand over his trainers
The father of a 16-year-old boy who was stabbed on his way to a GCSE exam has spoken out about the horrifying moment he returned home to find his son covered in blood. The teenager was rushed to hospital after being attacked by two men around 7am on Monday (May 20).
He was due to sit his English GCSE that morning, and had been advised by his school to arrive early. Leaving his house at 6.45am he chose to walk down a main road, believing it to be a "safer option" than his usual route.
However, as he turned onto Smithdown Road in Everton, he noticed two men on a bike. His father told reports the Liverpool Echo that the men, believed to be in their early to mid-20s, spotted his son and "turned their bike around" and 'trapped' him at the bus stop.
"He felt they were going to try to do something, so he was trying to avoid them," he explained. "But they trapped him at the bus stop. Basically the bus stop is the width of the pavement so you can't get away."
The terrified teenager saw a bus approach and tried to stop it to get on, even though it wasn't going in the right direction. But according to the boy's dad, the bus didn't stop, and the men saw their opportunity to move on the young man.
The dad added: "The men caught him and asked him for his bank card and his trainers. He refused to hand them over. So they grabbed him and pulled him against the wall."
During the attack the teenager said he heard one of the men say to his friend 'let me stab him'. However at this point, the other man had already attacked the schoolboy, using what he describes as a 'butterfly knife' to rip through his school uniform.
Despite the attack the boy still tried to make his way to school but seconds later "he saw the blood dripping down", so he ran home, gripping his arm as he went.
The boy's dad, who was at work at the time, got a message on his phone from his son telling him he was coming home. He said: " I didn't think anything was wrong - maybe that he'd forgotten his key or something. But then he calls me saying he'd been stabbed, so I just rushed straight home."
The dad returned to a scene of horror. He said: "I saw blood everywhere. it was just terrible."
Speaking to the ECHO from the family's sitting room, the dad was clearly anguished over what happened to his son. He said: "It happened in broad daylight, it's absolutely shocking. We're all in shock."
Asked what can be done to prevent incidents like this happening in future, the dad said: "Just bigger sentences are needed. Even if they do catch them, you just think - they're just going to get off again, aren't they? They don't care, these people - they're not even covering up. They weren't wearing masks or hoods or anything."
Fortunately, the boy's injuries are not severe, and he was released from hospital on Monday afternoon. His dad said: "They missed the artery, and they said in the hospital that he was lucky. And I guess he's lucky in that they've only just stabbed him once."
Neighbours talked about the hardworking young man in glowing terms and the schoolboy said he is keen to get back to his studies. He said: "I missed my English exam today and I was looking forward it."
A spokesperson for Merseyside Police said extensive CCTV, forensic and door-to-door enquiries are ongoing in the area - and detectives are appealing for information following the assault and attempted robbery.
Detective Inspector Michael Fletcher said: "Our enquiries are in the early stages but we initially think that this was an attempted robbery. We understand the concern that such incidents cause in our communities, and we will do everything in our power to find those responsible and put them before the courts. For a young teenager, this is appalling and will have been an extremely traumatic experience.
"Carrying knives can have fatal consequences and it is through luck alone the victim isn't more seriously hurt. If you live locally or were passing by on foot or in a vehicle, please check any devices, particularly at around 6.50am. Anyone who saw the incident or anyone making off on foot or on a pedal bike, may have vital information to assist.
"Through partnership work, patrols, warrants, stop searches and land searches, we are committed to preventing the devastation that knife crime causes, and in the last year we have seen knife crime in Merseyside reduce by 18.6%. Last week was a week of action as part of Sceptre, the national knife crime awareness campaign, and we want to keep highlighting the harm that carrying weapons causes, so that the number of people affected continues to drop."
