Trio sentenced after student stabbed in Widnes College

Three people have been sentenced after a teenage student was attacked and stabbed with a pair of scissors at a Widnes College

The 17 year old victim has been left blind in one eye after being deliberately hunted down in college and repeatedly stabbed with a pair of decorating scissors.

Liverpool Crown Court heard the teenager who has already undergone four hospital operations, may yet lose the eye itself as a result of the attack and feels his “whole life has been destroyed”

He had been tracked down by three youths who went “purposefully” from classroom to classroom in Riverside College in Widnes looking for their target following on-going “bad blood” between the victim and one of his attackers Jamie Grimes following a “trivial” incident.

When they found him in his maths class Grimes burst into the lesson and rained down “forceful punches” on the boy.

One of his companions, Michael Jones, then repeatedly stabbed him with the large scissors, including in his left eye, while a teacher and pupils watched on in shock.

Jones, now 18, was given a 12 year sentence involving nine years behind bars and a three year extended licence by a judge who ruled that he is “dangerous.”

Judge Neil Flewitt, QC, said, “I am disappointed to read in the pre-sentence report that you have no remorse for your actions. The implication being is that the victim got what he deserved.”

He said that long haired Jones, who looked indifferent throughout the court proceedings, “has a propensity for violence and more worringly a propensity for carrying serious weapons.”

Jones had not been taking his medication for ADHD at the time of the offence and the judge said there was concern that if he did not take it he will be involved in further serious violence which could be fatal.

“You are clearly and will continue to be for some time a dangerous young man.”

He sentenced Grimes, 17, to five years detention and pointed out, “This was your fight and it a particularly serious aspect of your case that you created the situation in which serious violence was used by Jones.

“You whipped up that group to look for the victim and although you may not have known that Jones had the scissors you set loose the mayhem that followed.”

Anthony O’Donohoe, prosecuting, told Liverpool Crown Court that the background resulting in the “grievous injury would seem to be sadly relatively trivial.”

In November last year Grimes and the victim who cannot be identified for legal reasons, were involved in a scuffle off the college site and a result they were both disciplined and suspended from college temporarily. The bad feeling coming from the way each was looking at each other continued despite parental and college intervention.

On December 7 there had been verbal altercation between Grimes and the boy and later he, Jones and Lewis Connor with others “actively searched out the boy in order to attack him,” he said.

The head of maths John Hatton overheard one of the group say ‘look in every room lad’. The “bad blood” was between Grimes and the victim, said Mr O’Donohoe.

CCTV showed them going to the first floor “looking purposefully in each classroom on Level B before finding him.” The door was locked but words were exchanged between the victim and the group. The class teacher Ken Wong then heard a loud bang and the defendants burst in. Someone in the group was heard to shout ‘that’s him’.”

The boy, who was near the front of the class room, stood up and was attacked by the Grimes and Jones. Jones admitted “punching him was as much force as he could manage in order to effect really bodily harm with a series of heavy blows,” said Mr O’Donohoe.

Jones joined in the attack with devastating consequences to the victim stabbing him three times with a pair of long decorating-type scissors. Connor was part of the group searching for the boy “with an aggressive and threatening manner.”

“This terrifying incident only lasted a minute or so but greatly alarmed students and those members of staff who witnessed it.

The trio then left the college premises and the police and ambulance were called for the heavily bleeding victim. The police went to Grimes’ home and his mum she explained that she was just on her way to hand them in to a police station.

When interviewed Grimes claimed he had been defending himself during a fight with the victim and denied knowing that Jones had the scissors, which was accepted by the prosecution. Jones remained silent in interview. He has two previous convictions for five offences, which include battery, assault and possessing a knife and an offensive weapon in public.

Sentencing the trio Judge Flewitt said that “there was no justification or excuse” for the attack and their search for their victim was “concerted and determined.”

Jones inflicted three blows to the victim’s eye, chest and hand and the judge described the eye injury as “appalling.” He also suffered two fractures to bones around his left eye, a cut to his eyebrow, a black eye, a wound to his chest and bruise to his hand.

The court heard that he is still undergoing active treatment for his perforating eye injury and while “the future is uncertain it is likely his final vision will be poor and there is some cosmetic damage.”

The court heard that at the very best he will only have two sixtieth vision in that eye and may lose the eye itself.

An impact statement revealed that he feels he will never be the same person again and he has effectively lost his future prospects.

He has had to give up his college course, lost his friends, he is conscious of his appearance and he is fearful if he will ever work.

“He feels his whole life has been destroyed by what happened.”

Jones of Caldwell Road, Widnes, had admitted causing grievous bodily harm with intent and having an offensive weapon. Grimes, of Stewards Avenue, Widnes, also admitted causing grievous bodily harm with intent on the basis he did not know Jones had the weapon.

Lewis Connor, now also 18, of Lune Way, Widnes, admitted causing fear of violence and was given a 12 month community sentence with10 days rehabilitation activity and 80 hours unpaid work

Although he did not enter the classroom the judge said “you lent your support to this enterprise and you contributed to the pack mentality that encouraged Jones and Grimes to go through with their plan,” said Judge Flewitt