A 14-year-old armed himself with a broken bottle and stabbed a classmate while on a school trip to Cardiff city centre.
The victim - who was said at Cardiff Crown Court to have provoked the attack himself - needed 12 stitches in a wound to his face and has been left scarred.
School staff who organised the end-of term trip and tried in vain to stop fighting which took place in front of Christmas shoppers on December 11 last year, were not aware there had been a simmering social media feud between the two boys for months, the court was told.
If they had been, they probably would not have taken them on the same visit, said prosecutor Tony Trigg, as the young teen pleaded guilty to a charge of wounding and possessing an offensive weapon.
Neither he or the victim, their Cardiff school or its’ staff can be identified for legal reasons.
"There had been animosity for months"
A judge heard how trouble started immediately when the boy who was to become the victim of the stabbing, saw his rival arriving.
“There had been animosity for months - threats and abusive messages had been exchanged with a suggestion that they fight - but unfortunately the teaching assistants with them did not realise the background between them,” Mr Trigg said.
“When they were together in the city centre there was friction immediately.
“(The victim) said he straight away contemplated fighting and one of his friends advised him to wait until they were out of sight of the CCTV cameras or the teachers - or preferably both.”
A female teaching assistant later told police how the victim was provoking the other boy but he refused to fight, telling him to behave himself.
“But he carried on goading, then attacked him when they were in the Hayes,” Mr Trigg told the court.
“It was an attack, in public, in broad daylight with (the defendant) being punched and repeatedly kicked while on the ground.
“They were separated by staff but (the victim) forced his way back in and continued until a member of the public intervened and pulled him away”
"He saw the milk bottle lying on the ground and picked it up"
The boy attacked was said to have been “angry” as a female member of staff tried to usher him down the street in another direction.
Mr Trigg said. “He kept repeating ‘I’m going to stab him’ and was looking for a shop to buy a knife when he saw the milk bottle lying on the ground and picked it up.
“He turned back at speed towards the library, striking the bottle against a lampost until the bottom dropped off, leaving two jagged edges.
“He was being pursued by (the female teaching assistant) who was making fruitless efforts to stop him.”
The victim came out of the library when friends shouted that the boy was back.
“He came out and punched him then struck him repeatedly, unaware that he was armed with the broken bottle, until he found himself stabbed in the face.”
It left a deep laceration - and an attempt was made to stab him in the stomach but was said to have fortunately caused only a small cut.
Mr Trigg told the court: “It was a nasty injury and 12 stitches were needed. It was very fortunate there was no injury to the eyes but there is scarring.”
Defendant also ended up in hospital himself
The two pupils were pulled apart by members of the public who again had to intervene - but even then the attack continued.
Mr Trigg said: “(The victim) realising he himself had badly hurt, attacked again, this time with two others, punching and kicking (the defendant) on the ground.”
The defendant eventually got up and ran and was arrested nearby with bruises on his face from the attacks on him.
In court, he was said to have acted under provocation.
His barrister Peter Harding-Roberts said he had also ended up in hospital himself.
He told the court, the boy had been one of few selected to go on a part-time apprenticeship and it was an opportunity to make something of his life if he was given a chance.
Recorder of Cardiff Judge Eleri Rees agreed the provocation had been “severe” and said the defendant - who was allowed to sit alongside his mother for the hearing which was conducted with the judge having removed her formal wig - had not been the instigator of the event.
Imposing a referral order with supervision and a three-month evening curfew, she told him: “You may be only 14 but you have to make choices for yourself and picking up that bottle was a bad choice.
“I urge you to take this as the moment you change direction and let’s hope it is the last we ever see of you.”
see-http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/teenager-stabbed-classmate-face-broken-11547587
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