A 14-year-old boy from Wiltshire has been sentenced following a stabbing attack on a teenage girl inside a shop in Cirencester earlier this year. The youth pleaded guilty to wounding with intent, inflicting grievous bodily harm without intent, and possession of a bladed article in a public place at a prior hearing.
At Bristol Crown Court, sitting as a youth court on 21 September, he received a 12-month referral order along with a three-year restraining order. For legal reasons, the boy’s identity cannot be disclosed.
Court proceedings revealed that the boy had become obsessed with a 14-year-old girl attending the same school. After she rejected his advances in December 2025, he began sending her messages using fake social media accounts.
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On the morning of Sunday, 15 March, police were called to Upper Churnside following reports of a stabbing around 11:15am. The boy had been waiting near a shop and entered it armed with a kitchen knife concealed in his jeans pocket after seeing the girl enter to purchase a drink. He forcibly grabbed her and struck her several times with the knife.
A shopkeeper present attempted to intervene by pulling the boy away but was struck in the back with the knife, forcing him to flee. Meanwhile, the girl managed to escape the shop and raised the alarm at a nearby property.
The girl sustained cuts to her neck, hands, and face, along with bruising on her back. The shopkeeper suffered a cut to his back.
The boy fled the scene but was quickly apprehended by police nearby. Upon searching, officers found the knife in his jeans pocket and noted a fresh cut on his hand.
In a Victim Personal Statement read in court, the girl described the lasting impact: “I’m scared and nervous anywhere I go. Even if someone raises their hand near me, I flinch because I don’t know their intentions. I wasn’t like this before the incident.”
She continued, “I was in shock and didn’t leave the house for several days. I never imagined something like this would happen to me or anyone I know. I’ve been having nightmares and often wake feeling a presence in the room. I now get dropped off to work because I don’t want to be outside alone. I shouldn’t have to feel this way as a teenager in my own area.”
Detective Superintendent Ian Fletcher, Head of Serious and Complex Investigations, said after the sentencing: “This was a frenzied attack in broad daylight. The victim was stabbed multiple times and has been extremely fortunate to have only minor injuries. Had the knife struck differently, this could have resulted in a fatality.
“Our hope is that the victim can recover from this deeply traumatic experience and begin to rebuild her life.”