Teenage boy jailed for attempted murder in Benhall

A 17 year old's been jailed for life with a minimum term of 12 and a half years for the attempted murder of a teenage girl in Benhall.

Alex Tye admitted stabbing his victim.

He's been named after a judge lifted reporting restrictions in the case.

On the 2nd of October last year the East Anglian Air Ambulance and police were called just after 7pm to Benhall.

They arrived to find a teenage girl who had been attacked close to the junction of Aldecar Lane and Benhall Green.

We spoke to residents at the time who told us they were shocked by the event. 

One local woman's husband was walking their dog and called 999 after finding the injured girl around 6:40 am, the girl had been left there for hours.

We are keeping her anonymous to avoid the identification of the girl who was attacked.

"He was just taking the dog for a quick walk on the green and then my husband saw a body on the ground and my dog started barking and she called out, so my husband went over to her.

"He ran into the house to get me and a blanket and I ran out to her and then she said 'Can you go and get my Mum' because I know her mum, so I ran up the road and got her mum and my husband called the ambulance.

"It was very distressing.. it was quite shocking to think how you would feel if that was your 16year old daughter.

"I think the most stressful bit for him (her husband) was talking to 999... he was just sitting with her, holding her hand - one hand holding her, one hand holding the phone going 'when are you going to come, what can I do?' and they just said stay there and talk to her.

The girl was treated for stab wounds and a back injury at Ipswich Hospital, but has life changing injuries.

Suffolk police revealed "officers arrested a 17-year-old boy on 2 October on suspicion of assault causing grievous bodily harm with intent. He was taken to Martlesham Police Investigation Centre for questioning.

"He was further arrested while in custody on suspicion of attempted murder.

"The 17-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, and was charged with attempted murder and possession of a bladed article."

In a video statement recorded for the court, the girl said: "Often what happened does not feel real. Sometimes it feels like I am in a movie.

"Sometimes it feels like a camera will fall out of the sky and I will be in a reality TV show.

"I was so scared. I did not want him to win. If I had died he would have won."

In a separate statement read out on her behalf, the teenage victim told the court she will never be able to go into her attic bedroom again.

She said: "I want to know why he did it. I think it must be my fault but I cannot figure out what I did wrong... I will never beat my dad in a running race again. I will never play cricket again on the beach."

The judge lifted reported restrictions on the incident to allow reporters to name Tye due to the serious nature of the crime.

Tye and the victim had worked together and had secretly dated despite Tye being in a relationship with another girl.

After his girlfriend found out Tye was still in contact with the victim, she broke up with him days before the attack.

She had suspected there was something romantic between the pair but Tye had told his ex-girlfriend the victim was "meaningless" to him.

The court heard that Tye had messaged his ex-girlfriend saying "I would kill to get you back" after the pair split up.

He messaged the victim and arranged to meet her at night in a park near her home.

The court heard that the victim had jokingly asked Tye "you are not going to stab and kill me?" when she received the unexpected invitation to meet him.

The pair chatted on a bench for more than an hour and kissed before Tye attacked her as they were leaving the park.

He had researched which parts of the body are the worst to be stabbed and how long it takes someone to die of a stab wound, several weeks before the incident, the court heard.

The teenager pleaded guilty at Ipswich Crown Court in January. He also admitted possession of a bladed article.

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