Teenager jailed after knifing friend in stomach after fight - with victim ‘lucky’ not to die

Alfie Breakspear, 18, appeared for sentence at Portsmouth Crown Court following a stabbing in Emsworth on March 2 having previously refused to leave his cell to face justice last month.

READ NOW: Search for missing girl

The court heard ‘drunk’ Breakspear became involved in a heated row with a friend inside a house in North Street where pals had gathered. The two males then ‘squared up’ before punching each other and then falling to the floor and ‘rolling over each other’.

During the scrap, Breakspear stabbed his friend in the stomach and bottom, resulting in bleeding coming from the wound close to the victim’s kidneys. ‘I didn’t mean to hurt him,’ Breakspear said after the incident before making efforts to stop police being called.

The victim was rushed to hospital with the injury initially thought to be life threatening. After surgery to close the stab wound, the 20-year-old male was released from hospital on antibiotics.

The court heard Breakspear, of Radcliffe Road, Southampton, had two previous knife possession offences along with battery and drugs offences.

He admitted grievous bodily harm without intent, robbery and possession of cannabis. The robbery and cannabis offences related to an incident in Southampton on September 11 last year when Breakspear and an accomplice attacked a man and stole his £500 bike. Police later found 12g of cannabis on Breakspear.

The court was told Breakspear had suffered a ‘life plagued with trauma’ after going through the care system and suffered with anxiety and paranoia. Probation assessed the defendant as being a ‘significant risk of serious harm’.

Judge William Ashworth said it was ‘fortunate’ the victim did not die with the stab wound ‘very close’ to the aorta, the main artery of the body. He added: ‘You cocked up badly and made a big mistake. You are lucky you did not kill him.’

Breakspear was jailed for 42 months but will be released after serving half his sentence.

A police spokeswoman previously said: ‘We were called to a report that a 20-year-old man had suffered a stab wound to his abdomen inside an address. He was taken to hospital with serious injuries.’