Teen who stabbed sister's friend in bedroom during loud music row avoids jail
A teenager stabbed a friend of his sister in a row over playing loud music in her bedroom, a court heard.
Jack Burton, 19, challenged three boys to a fight telling them he "would have all three of them" after his sister refused to turn down the sound at the family house in Smallthorne, Stoke-on-Trent, on February 25. Prosecutor Fiona Cortese said the victim was drinking in the bedroom belonging to Burton's sister and decided to take him up on his offer of a fight. The pair went downstairs and after Burton picked up a kitchen knife, his dad tried to calm him down, but still he slashed the victim cutting the left side of his head.
Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard the youth went to hospital where the four centimetre cut needed to be glued. In his police interview Burton said he had asked his sister to turn the music down and she had not. He said some comments were made by her friends and he said, "Come on then".
Now Burton has been sentenced to six months detention in a young offenders' institution, suspended for 18 months. Miss Cortese said: "The defendant was in a small box room. He told them to get away from the door. Shortly after he entered his sister's bedroom. He said, 'Who wants it? I will have all three of you'. The victim and his friends stood up. The defendant said, 'Come on then'.
"They left the bedroom. Girls in the bedroom tried to stop the boys from leaving. The defendant was behind his victim in the kitchen. He was shouting, he was angry, he said, 'Come on then'. His dad tried to calm him down, Burton raised his arm, he was holding a knife, he brought it down, it struck the left side of the victim's head.
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"The victim was shocked. He was bleeding heavily. He felt angry. He left and went to his brother's. He went to hospital and a four centimetre cut was closed with glue and steri-strips. He also sustained a three centimetre cut above his eye and had a migraine."
Burton pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm. Martin Bloor, mitigating, said there was a realistic prospect of rehabilitation, reported StokeonTrentLive. Mr Bloor said: "His reaction to the situation was based on his immaturity but also his learning difficulties. He suffers from Asperger's syndrome, autism and ADHD (Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).
"He understands it was a ridiculous response to what was going on. He was lucky he did not cause injury to his father also. That is not lost on him. He is very sorry for what he has done. It does seem out of character for him." As part of the suspended sentence he must carry out 150 hours unpaid work and a rehabilitation activity requirement for 30 days.
Recorder Robert Smith said: "You are very lucky that you did not seriously injure him. You could easily have had his eye out. You armed yourself with a knife in an escalation of an aggressive situation that you started. It beggars belief that you did something so impulsive, stupid and dangerous.
"You accept full responsibility and seem to regret picking up the knife. "No doubt your ADHD, Asperger's syndrome and autism clouded your judgement in the heat of the moment," he added. Burton was ordered to pay £500 compensation and £250 costs.
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