Three jailed following samurai sword stabbing in Southampton
A man in his 20s suffered serious injuries following the attack in October 2023
A woman and two teenagers have been jailed for their role in the stabbing of a man with a samurai sword in Southampton.
A man in his 20s was stabbed several times in the chest in Laburnum Road on 26 October 2023.
He sustained serious injuries to his chest, torso and arm, for which he was treated in hospital.
Three people were later detained by officers following enhanced local patrols, detective and forensic work, and with the help of eyewitness accounts and mobile phone footage.
Appearing in court in March, Barry Kayley Jr, previously known as Mohammad Mokhtar, 18, of Bluebell Road, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit affray and threatening another with an offensive weapon.
He was sentenced to 11 months in prison.
At the same hearing, Nicola Kayley, previously known as Asma Mokhtar, 46, of Bluebell Road, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit affray, assisting an offender and careless driving.
She was given 31 months in prison.
A 16-year-old boy from Southampton, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm with intent, and was found not guilty of attempted murder following a trial.
The teenager was sentenced to 4 years and four months in prison, with an additional 3 years on extended licence.
Detective Constable Ellie Williams of Southampton’s Criminal Investigation Department, who led the investigation, said:
"It is miraculous that the victim of this senseless and violent stabbing did not lose his life. Thanks to the rapid actions of members of the public, responding police officers and our NHS and South Central Ambulance Service colleagues, the victim survived his injuries, however he still faces lasting complications as a result of what happened to him. He will no doubt carry the trauma of this serious assault for the rest of his life. I sincerely hope that these convictions help him begin to move forward.
"I would like to thank my colleagues, whose dedication and hard work throughout a complex investigation ensured that we could present a thorough pack of evidence before the courts.
"We are pleased with this result today and that these three individuals will now face the consequences of what they have done."
Southampton Chief Inspector Chris Douglas said:
"Incidents of this nature are rightly and understandably concerning to members of the communities that they happen in.
"I want Southampton residents to know that knife crime is a priority for us and we are carrying out a significant amount of work in this area.
"Knife crime is not an issue that policing alone can solve, which is why we have strong links with our partnership agencies including local youth groups, Southampton City Council and charities who help us to educate young people intent on carrying a knife and start the early intervention work that underpins our communities-led policing response to knife crime.
"I would like to reassure people that when these incidents take place we work as hard as we can to bring offenders to justice and review our response so that we can continue to keep Southampton safe."