A gang of masked teenagers travelled in convoy to a sixth form college to settle a "grudge" before stabbing two students.
The nine youths waited for their target outside Riverside College in Widnes wearing balaclavas and armed with weapons as they sought "revenge" for a rift which had formed during their school days. They then pounced on him and his friends as they left for the day, with one of the victims being knifed in the kidney during the shocking incident.
Liverpool Crown Court heard today that the group travelled to the college from Liverpool on the afternoon of February 3 2020 "apparently to seek revenge over some grudge against one of the students". Two then 16-year-old boys, also from Liverpool, were stabbed during a subsequent outbreak of violence in the street outside the sixth form.
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Gerald Baxter, prosecuting, told the court that it had "not been possible to identify the person or persons who inflicted those stab wounds". However, the dispute concerned "something from a long time previously" when the parties were still at school.
Earlier in the day, defendant Sean Self had messaged pupil James Murphy to say he was "coming to the college with his mates". Around lunchtime, the now 19-year-old - of Berryedge Crescent in Huyton - called the teen to warn him that they were "on their way".
After finishing his classes, Mr Murphy left via the main entrance onto Kingsway at around 2.45pm. Across the road, he spotted a "large group of lads wearing balaclavas" attacking his friend Joshua Meek.
The teenager tried to intervene but was punched in the face before being chased down the street by three members of the gang, running into a nearby shop to "take refuge". Another pal, Daniel Bruen, saw Mr Murphy being attacked and also attempted to intervene.
But he was knocked to the floor, then saw one of his assailants brandishing a bat. The boy was put into a headlock and dragged around the street before being released, at which point he noticed a "tingling sensation" to his lower back and realised he was bleeding.
It was then discovered Mr Bruen had suffered two stab wounds, one of which penetrated his kidney. Mr Meek meanwhile said that one of the louts had run up to him and hit him in the face, knocking him to the floor.
He too was stabbed in his side, having initially thought he had been punched. Both youngsters were taken to hospital for treatment after suffering serious injuries.
Two of the attackers, Chesney Miller and Rhys Bushell, appeared to be sentenced on Monday for their part in the violence metered out. During an interview with police, the latter admitted he had "only grabbed and hit" one of the three complainants before hearing a co-defendant shout "let's go" and leaving the scene.
The 19-year-old, of Midway Road in Huyton, said of the incident: "Me and my mates went down there to meet him. It was meant to be a normal fight."
Meanwhile Miller - now aged 18 and of no fixed address - chased Mr Murphy down the street and was "in the thick of the violence", including having "delivered a flying kick" to him. He is currently serving a sentence of eight years and four months for inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent.
This related to an attack which occurred two weeks prior to the stabbing. Callum Ross, defending Miller, said: "He has, on a much more positive note, been making productive use of his time in custody."
Bushell has no previous convictions. Kate Morley told the court her client is hoping to join the Royal Marines, adding: "There has not been any repeat of this behaviour.
"He has taken a good, long look at himself and his life choices. He has made significant efforts to ensure that nothing like this occurs in the future."
Miller - who appeared via video link to HMP Oakland - admitted violent disorder and was handed 11 months, to be served consecutively to his current term. Bushell pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm and was handed a three-month imprisonment suspended for a year, as well as being told to complete 130 hours of unpaid work.
Sentencing, Judge Robert Trevor-Jones said: "This was a serious incident of group violence. You all knew there was to be a confrontation and there was to be a fight.
"You seem to have been motivated by a slight or grievance, a historic one which arose out of an incident which happened a year before that. This was in broad daylight, it was senseless and it was pre-meditated.
"Weapons were used to cause serious injury. You all played a part in the overall incident, the presence of each one of you encouraging the others."
Six others were previously handed suspended sentence orders by the court in December, with "most having had no connection to the apparent grievance which was the catalyst". Self admitted violent disorder on the basis he only expected a "fist fight".
Keiran Walker, aged 19 and of Carr Lane in Norris Green, pleaded guilty to the same charge. Twenty-year-old Benjamin Tinsley, of St Anthony's Close in Huyton, and 19-year-old Jake Dawson, of Butleigh Road in Huyton, both admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
Jamie Mann and Callum Francis, aged 19 and of Mardale Road and Butleigh Road in Huyton respectively, pleaded guilty to a public order offence. Nineteen-year-old Terry Armstrong, formerly of York Road in Huyton but now of no fixed address, admitted violent disorder and will be sentenced at a later date.
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