Teenager's gang 'obsession' ended in violent stabbing of Darlington boy

The 15-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, used an eight-inch 'Rambo- style' knife to attack his teenage victim, leaving him with potentially life-threatening injuries.

The judge who passed a six-year sentence for the vulnerable teenager, who has been diagnosed with autism, told him that he was lucky not to be facing a murder charge.

Teesside Crown Court heard how the teenager posted footage on Snapchat following the stabbing boasting about his victim 'leaving blood on my shank' before he fled the scene.

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Police launched a manhunt in the wake of the stabbing on June 21 last year and officers were forced to close a section of the A1 after the defendant started running onto the road while trying to flag down cars.

Police sniffer dog on the A1 near Merrybent

Jenny Haigh, prosecuting, said the defendant had messaged his friend to meet him and smoke a joint before pulling out the knife and attacking him near a footpath in Darlington.

She said: "The defendant made a stabbing motion into his chest, which connected with his right breast, he fell to the floor and the defendant aimed the knife at his chest, lunging at him again.

"He moved his arm to try to protect himself and the defendant stabbed him in the right arm. The knife went through his arm and he could see the tip of the blade sticking out.

"The defendant pulled the knife out and said 'what fam, come on fam – I'm going to kill ya'."

Moments later the victim was stabbed in the abdomen.

The defendant then posted a Snapchat message tagging the victim saying he was 'leaving blood on my shank'.

The court heard the victim was left with injuries to his arm, chest and damage to his kidney.

In a victim impact statement read out by Miss Haigh, the victim said: "He never thought getting stabbed would have such an impact on his life – he thought he was going to die."

She added: "He doesn't like being alone, he is struggling to sleep, he wakes up with flashbacks and finds it hard to trust anybody because he thought the defendant was his friend."

Collingsway, Darlington, near where the stabbing took place

Miss Haigh said the defendant was a high risk of being criminally exploited and had become involved in 'county lines' drug culture.

During the search for the defendant, a large police presence was seen at Merrybent Community Woodland, while roadblocks on the A1 Northbound and Southbound were in place as a police helicopter and sniffer dog helped with the search.

The weapon was never recovered.

The teenager, from the Darlington area, pleaded guilty to wounding with intent and possession of an offensive weapon.

Robert Mochrie, in mitigation, said his client had significant mental health issues and had been the victim of a stabbing himself after getting mixed up in the drug culture.

He said: "The video footage, which was incredibly alarming, is his way of showing those people that he is engaging in a way they expect him to do so.

"Basically, showing the world that he is part of that lifestyle."

Recorder David Gordon sentenced the teenager to four years in youth detention with an extended two years on licence once he is released.

"You are an extremely vulnerable young man who has been influenced by others older than you and unscrupulous and from time to time they have used you," he said.

"You armed yourself was what is often called a 'Rambo' knife, you clearly lured a young friend of yours to a fairly secluded place and then without warning or justification stabbed him on a number of occasions with that knife causing him serious injury.

"It is only by good luck that you were not facing a murder charge – that young man could quite easily have been killed, given the extent of the violence you used and the vile nature of the weapon you had armed yourself."

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