Bradford: Teenager admits stabbing boy, 15, in park

The teenager had been on trial for attempted murder

A teenager has admitted stabbing another boy in a park in Bradford.

The 16-year-old, who cannot be named, had been on trial at Bradford Crown Court for attempted murder, which he denied.

However, he entered a guilty plea to wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm and he also admitted possessing a knife in a public place.

The judge directed the jury to find him guilty and said the attempted murder charge would remain on file.

The court had been told the injured boy, then 15, had been found by a friend after being stabbed in Grosvenor Park in March.

He suffered a collapsed lung and life-threatening bleeding and underwent emergency surgery.

The prosecution said he had suffered moderate to severe brain damage due to oxygen deprivation and had since suffered multiple seizures.

The stabbing came after a fight was arranged at the park between two other schoolboys

Prosecutor Adam Birkby said in the days leading up to the incident a fight had been arranged between two other schoolboys and one of them was a friend of the defendant.

The defendant, who was also 15 at the time, went to the park with others to back his friend while the injured boy was said to have gone there with a friend to watch the fight.

Mr Birkby showed the jury a series of CCTV clips showing what happened in the park, including the moment the teenager was stabbed.

He said after the stabbing, the defendant dumped his ripped jacket in an alleyway, disposed of his mobile phone and also changed his clothing and hairstyle before he was arrested in the early hours of the next day.

Judge Jonathan Rose adjourned sentencing until 14 December in order for reports to be prepared and a victim impact statement obtained.

However, he stressed wounding with intent was still "an exceptionally serious offence" which carried a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

He warned the teenager a significant period of custody would follow.