Man jailed for 7 years following stabbing in Gosport

A 24 year-old man has been jailed for seven years at Portsmouth Crown Court following a stabbing in Gosport town centre in April.

On Friday 25 April Rhys Curtis was involved in an argument with two 19-year-old men that were known to him at an address in Gosport. Later at around 10:15pm a fight broke out between the three men at the shopping precinct on South Street where Curtis stabbed one of the 19-year-old men in the abdomen. The man was taken to hospital for treatment and has since been discharged and is recovering from his injuries. The knife was recovered by officers at the scene.

Following a thorough investigation 24-year-old Rhys Curtis, of no fixed address in Gosport was arrested and charged with wounding with intent and possession of a bladed article in a public place. He subsequently admitted both offences at court. At Portsmouth Crown Court the Judge imposed an extended sentence of seven years in prison due to the violent nature of the incident noting that Curtis was aged over 21-years-old at the time of the offence.

District Commander for Gosport, Chief Inspector Marcus Kennedy said: “Seven years in prison is a significant sentence in relation to this incident in the town centre. Whilst the parties were known to each other, it’s a busy area and any member of the public could have been caught up in this violent assault.

“Our message to criminals in Gosport around serious violence and other criminality has been simple – ‘not in our town’. We work closely with our partner agencies and the community to address these issues and I’m pleased that this court result underlines our commitment that we will not tolerate knife crime or serious violence in Gosport.

“There are serious consequences for everyone involved in crimes like this, whether you are a victim or you have chosen to carry a knife. A key focus of our work is prevention, during our regular Operation Sceptre weeks of action, officers ran community engagement events, including in schools, community centres and youth clubs, to provide further education on the risks and consequences that come with choosing to carry a knife.

“We continuously work with partners to manage individuals at risk of reoffending, identifying those who have been involved with knife-related offences and providing opportunities for engagement and diversion, pursuing prosecution and enforcement when appropriate”.