Teenager sentenced after triple stabbing in Norwich
It follows an incident on Prince of Wales Road last year
An 18 year-old teenager has been jailed after stabbing three people in Norwich in a fight on Prince of Wales Road last October.
Thomas Jones from Bolton Road was sentenced for three counts of causing GBH - he was given six years for the first offence and two years for each of the subsequent offences.
He's also been given 18 months for possession of a knife in a public place after previously pleading guilty to the offences.
All the sentences are to run concurrently.
The judge also concluded that James met the criteria for ‘dangerousness’ and taking into account his previous convictions that he represents a risk of serious harm to others for which he received an extended period of three years.
Police officers were on patrol on Saturday 9th October on Prince of Wales Road when they saw a group of around five men fighting near Bar and Beyond.
Thomas was seen reaching into his pocket before lunging at the first victim.
Officer ran to the scene and CCTV footage shows James place his hands behind his back and begin walking backwards, hiding his hands from the view of the officers arriving on the scene.
Another camera then captures James dipping into his pocket on a second occasion, near Demos Continental Off Licence on the same road, holding something in his hand while looking at a second victim aged in his 20s, mouthing something toward him.
He then swings his arm backwards and thrusts at the second victim. Thomas attacks a second time, he misses and hits a door frame.
The victim managed to dodge out of the way and a third man, Alan Gray, in his 60s, intervened and pushed Thomas into the doorway.
As Thomas retreated up a stairwell to flats above the off-licence, Mr Gray kept him pinned against a window until police arrived to arrest him.
Officers then spotted Mr Gray had a small wound to the left-hand side of his stomach which was treated by paramedics at the scene. The other two victims were taken to hospital with their injuries.
The judge commended Mr Gray for his bravery in stepping in to apprehend James at considerable risk to himself.
DC Jordan Lowe said: “It’s always shocking that young people in our county carry knives and act violently in this way, displaying such a lack of regard for someone’s life. The injuries caused to the victims could easily have been life threatening.
“This kind of violence will not be tolerated, and Norfolk police will seize on every opportunity to gather evidence and bring perpetrators of such crimes to justice."