Shrewsbury man, 18, locked up for stabbing victim in struggle outside flats

Dean Flynn, 19, who believed he had been punched, was left bleeding heavily from a neck wound which was very close to a main artery.

At Stafford Crown Court yesterday Paul Crossland was given four-and-a-half years' custody at a Young Offenders' Institution, having admitted a charge of wounding with intent.

Initially the 18-year-old, who appeared at court via a video link from Brinsford Young Offenders' Institution, had denied a charge of attempted murder, but pleaded guilty to the wounding offence before the case reached trial.

Yesterday Crossland, of Stapleton Road, Meole Brace, Shrewsbury, was also given a 12-month concurrent sentence for possession of the knife and a formal not guilty verdict was recorded on the attempted murder charge.

Judge Michael Chambers QC told Crossland the victim had suffered "unpleasant injuries" and could have lost his life.

"There was an altercation with the victim and others for which the precise reason is less than clear. Having threatened to stab another man you went to your flat and got the knife," he said.

He said the incident happened only weeks after Crossland had been cautioned by police for carrying a knife.

Miss Cathlyn Orchard, prosecuting, said the stabbing happened in the early hours of November 15 last year when there was a dispute involving Crossland and the victim and others, who all lived at different blocks of flats in the area.

Mr Flynn had been asked to locate the defendant who had been angry and threw an empty can of lager at a window and threatened to stab one of the other men.

Later Crossland returned to the scene and was armed with a kitchen knife and threw something at the flat window at which point Mr Flynn jumped out and confronted the defendant and witnesses said there was a fight between the two men.

"Mr Flynn felt what he thought were punches, but the defendant had stabbed him three times – once to the neck and twice to the left side of his chest," Miss Orchard said.

She said that because of his injuries Mr Flynn collapsed and the defendant did not go to help him and ran off.

She said that Mr Flynn had believed he was going to die, but managed to reach a nearby petrol station to raise the alarm.

He is still receiving some treatment, but is expected to make a full recovery.

Mr Danny Smith, for Crossland, said his client, who is originally from Merseyside, had a troubled childhood and had been living on the streets.

"He has shown remorse and recognises the harm that he caused," he said.