Boy stabbed 'for his trainers' as he walked to school to sit GCSE exam

The dad of a boy who was stabbed on his way to school has told the ECHO of his shock and disbelief after coming home to find his son covered in blood.

The 16-year-old schoolboy was taken to hospital after being stabbed in the arm by two men at around 7am yesterday, Monday, May 20.

The boy was supposed to be taking his English GCSE exam yesterday morning, and was told by his school to get in early. The diligent student left home at 6.45am and decided to walk down Smithdown Road, rather than his usual route, because he thought it would be the "safer option".

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As he turned the corner onto the main road the boy said he saw two men on a bike. According to his dad, the men - thought to be in their early to mid 20s - then clocked his son, and "turned their bike around".

The dad said: "He felt they were going to try to do something, so he was trying to avoid them. 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."

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