Youths detained over mass brawl

Vacoy Farrell and Rion Solomon handed themselves in to police

Two teenagers have been detained for their part in an attack that left a 16-year-old boy in hospital with machete wounds to his neck and head.

Police said it followed an outbreak of violence in Great Barr on 27 September involving a large group of youths, and that it had had a lasting impact on the victim and his family.

Vacoy Farrell and Rion Solomon, both 19, were sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court on Wednesday.

Farrell, who police said struck the victim twice with a machete, was told he would serve four years in youth detention.

Solomon was detained for two years for what officers described as repeatedly punching another youth involved in the brawl.

The force said the pair had handed themselves in and admitted their involvement after they were presented with CCTV and other evidence.

In court, Farrell, of Tansley Grove, Birmingham pleaded guilty to charges of possession of a blade, violent disorder, and possession of cannabis with intent to supply, while Solomon, of Witton Lodge Road, admitted violent disorder.

Det Con Zara Javaid, from West Midlands Police's Major Crime Unit, said: “This was a really nasty outbreak of violence involving a large number of teenagers, and it could easily have become a murder investigation.

“Too often we see the tragic consequences of using a knife. A split-second decision can destroy lives and rip apart families and communities.

“Young people should be able to go about their daily lives freely, without fear and without the possibility that they could be attacked and potentially killed."

She said the true motive behind the attack might never be known, but hoped the sentence offered the victim and his family some comfort.