Norfolk teenager cleared of attempted murder to be sentenced for GBH
Police were called to Bury Road in the town just before midday on March 10th, to reports of a fight where a man had been stabbed
Last updated 21st Oct 2024
An 18-year-old man has been convicted of GBH following a knife attack on a man in his 30s in the street on Mother’s Day.
Elvis Price, aged 18, of Amulet Close, Thetford, and a 17-year-old male who cannot be named for legal reasons were both charged with attempted murder and GBH with intent following the incident on March 10, 2024.
After an 11-day trial both were today, Monday 21 October 2024, acquitted of attempted murder by a jury at Norwich Crown Court.
Price was found guilty of GBH with intent, the most serious form of assault, and of possessing a knife in a public place.
The 17-year-old admitted to a separate charge of escaping from lawful custody and was handed a conditional discharge.
During the trial, Norwich Crown Court heard how the victim thought he was going to die after he was stabbed multiple times in the chest, abdomen, and back in Bury Road, Thetford, just before midday in front of his young children.
Mobile phone footage, which was played in court, showed the victim, his partner and their two young children walking home after they had been out for breakfast, when they encountered Elvis Price and a woman.
The court heard there was a history of hostility between the two families, and Price and the victim exchanged words after unexpectedly meeting in the street.
Footage showed a white car stopping in the street.
Price approached the car and is seen to reach into the vehicle, withdrawing his hand, and putting it into his pocket.
Meanwhile, the 17-year-old male, who had arrived at the scene on foot, is seen forcefully pushing the victim to the floor.
Having got to his feet the victim is stabbed by Price repeatedly, at one point needing to reset the blade which had folded in on itself.
The whole attack took less than 10 seconds.
One witness told detectives that it happened so fast, all she could see was “hands and arms going at this man.”
After the attack, both males fled the area and went on the run before being arrested six weeks later on 23 April 2024 in Kent.
Several members of the public rushed to help the victim after the attack, including a passing military medic.
On the way to hospital he went into cardiac arrest and medics performed lifesaving procedures by the roadside.
On arrival at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge he was taken straight to the operating theatre for six hours of surgery.
He was back in surgery two days later, and remained sedated in critical care and on multiple organ support before finally being released from hospital on 8 April 2024.
He continues to recover from his injuries, some of which are life changing.
Price had said that he acted in self-defence and was protecting the 17-year-old.
Det Insp Sam Pontin who led the investigation said: “The victim very nearly died, in a public place and in the presence of his young children on Mother’s Day.
"It is truly awful for the victim, his family, and anybody who had to witness this incident.
“The situation quickly escalated from verbal exchanges to the victim being left with life-threatening injuries.
"This incident highlights the very serious consequences of knife crime.
“Had it not been for the incredible work of passers-by who carried out initial first aid, and that of medics who performed life-saving procedures the victim may not have survived.
“The victim and his partner have asked us to pass on their grateful thanks to those members of the public who stopped to help, the air ambulance, and the intensive care unit at Addenbrooke’s Hospital.”
Price is due to appear at Norwich Crown Court for sentencing on 22 November 2024.