Man charged after boy stabbed in stomach in Smethwick

Police cordon outside a property on Oxford Road, Smethwick

The teenager was stabbed on Oxford Road, Smethwick, on Sunday

A man has been charged with wounding after a 16-year-old boy was stabbed in the stomach.

The teenager was discovered by police after the incident on Oxford Road, Smethwick, shortly after 16:00 GMT on Sunday.

Asaduz Zaman, who lives on Oxford Road, was arrested nearby the following day.

Mr Zaman, 40, was remanded in custody to appear before Dudley Magistrates on 19 March. The boy remains in hospital in a stable condition.

As well as wounding, Mr Zaman also faces a charge of threatening a person with a bladed object.

Knife crime in the West Midlands

West Midlands Police saw a 72% rise in knife crime between April 2013 and the year ending March 2018, Office for National Statistics (ONS) analysis shows.

Knife crimes recorded by West Midlands Police. Offences between April 2013 and March 2018. Crimes recorded between April 2013 and March 2018 .

Out of 43 forces, West Midlands Police saw the third highest knife crime offences per head of population between April 2017 to March 2018, according to the Home Office.

Ten forces with the highest knife crime rates. The number of offences reported for every 100,000 people. The number of knife crimes reported for every 100,000 people by police forces Note: Figures for Greater Manchester Police were undercounted until December 2017.

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