A judge allowed a 14-year-old boy who stabbed a girl 10 times to walk free from court after telling him prison was the 'last place' for a 'bright lad' like him.
asserted
prison → allow → him
The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, attacked the girl with a six-inch kitchen knife at a shop in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, on March 15 after he asked her out on a date and she said no.
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she → name → date
In a brutal attack caught on the shopkeeper's CCTV, the boy, from Wiltshire, grabbed her forcefully and stabbed her multiple times as she tried to flee.
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she → catch → her
He was handed a three-year restraining order and a 12-month referral order after admitting to wounding with intent, inflicting grievous bodily harm and possession of a bladed article in a public place.
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He → hand → place
The victim's mother has said the family feel 'incredibly let down' the 'evil and sick' boy wasn't jailed.
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boy → say → ?
Now transcripts of court hearings in the case, seen by the Daily Mail, reveal how Judge Ian Lawrie KC did not want to put the boy behind bars despite admitting he has 'behaviour dysfunctionality... which causes me grave concern'.
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which → see → concern
'The planning, the thought process, the carrying of the knife, and what I've seen on the CCTV, the actions which frankly stand out markedly as dangerous
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which → see → CCTV
,' he added.
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he → add → ?
However, the judge later described him as a 'bright lad' with a 'solid family background and home' who did something 'out of kilter'.
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who → describe → kilter
What I'm trying to do is find a sentence that's best constructed to help you and give you support,' he said.
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he → try → support
Judge Ian Lawrie KC (pictured) allowed a 14-year-old boy who stabbed a girl 10 times to walk free from court after telling him prison was the 'last place' for a 'bright lad' like him
The boy, 14, can be seen calmly walking up to his victim in the convenience store before stabbing her multiple times
The court heard the girl sustained cuts to her neck, hands and face as well as bruising to her back during the terrifying knife attack
He also suggested that the knife was 'not a highly dangerous weapon', adding: 'It's a persistent assault in the sense it's not a one off.
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it → picture → sense
The boy, who also stabbed a shopkeeper who tried to intervene, was freed on bail before later being handed a community sentence.
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who → stab → sentence
He had become obsessed with the girl at his school, using fake social media accounts to send her messages after she rejected his advances in December 2025.
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she → become → December
Then on the morning of March 15, he waited for the girl near the shop and asked her on a date.
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he → wait → date
When she said no, he followed her armed with a knife in the pocket of his jeans and stabbed her at least 10 times.
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he → say → times
The 14-year-old girl suffered cuts to her neck, hands and face, and bruising to her back.
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girl → suffer → back
The shopkeeper, who tried to grab the boy, suffered injuries on his back.
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who → try → back
After admitting the assault, the boy spent three months in Vinny Green, a secure unit in south Gloucestershire for 10 to 17-year-olds.
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boy → admit → olds
But at a hearing in June, Judge Lawrie said he was 'deeply unhappy' that the teenager had been sent there.
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teenager → say → June
He released him on bail on an electronic tag, ordering him to stay at home between 6pm and 7am every day.
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He → release → am
However, the day he was released on bail, the boy did not return home until 1.30am, meaning the tag could not be fitted until the next day.
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tag → release → day
'We are dealing with a 14 year old.
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We → deal → old
They tend to be a little bit temperamental,' said Judge Lawrie.
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Lawrie → tend → ?
In a victim statement read to the court, the girl said: 'I'm scared and nervous anywhere that I go.
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I → read → court
Even if someone puts their hand up next to me I flinch as I don't know what they are about to do to me.
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they → put → me
I know this is as a result of the incident, as I wasn't like this before.
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I → know → this
The shopkeeper attempted to grab the boy and pull him away from her, but he was also stabbed in the process
'
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he → attempt → process
I was in so much shock after it happened.
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it → happen → shock
I didn't leave the house for a couple of days.
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I → leave → days
I never thought something like this would ever happen to me, or anyone I know at all.
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I → think → me
I've been having nightmares since; I relive the incident, but in these dreams it happens in different places.
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it → have → places
I sleep in the dark but when I wake, I constantly feel like there is a presence in the room.
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I → sleep → room
I can't stop thinking about it.
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I → stop → it
This is going to affect my ability to trust people.
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This → go → people
I'm now getting dropped off to work…because I don't want to be outside on my own.
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I → drop → own
I shouldn't have to feel like this as a teenager in my own area.'
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I → have → area
The victim's mother – who has not been named – said she feels 'failed' and 'incredibly let down' by the court's decision.
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she → name → decision
She told the BBC: 'If you're big enough to commit an adult crime, you should have the punishment, regardless of your age.
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you → tell → age
I feel angry.
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I → feel → ?
We're incredibly let down; we feel like everyone's failed us.
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everyone → let → us
…and 6 more, not listed.
The Aporia
