15 MONTHS FOR KNIFE ATTACK ON MAN IN PARK

A TEENAGE thug who stabbed a man in the back at a Bedworth park has been jailed for 15 months.

Jiguaerl Botamba knifed his victim during a violent clash in Bedworth’s Miners Welfare Park and was then photographed as he walked away holding a kitchen knife.

Botamba dumped the knife in a bin inside Bedworth Leisure Centre from where it was later recovered by police.

The 18-year-old, from Nottingham, had originally denied a charge of wounding victim Adam Ross Harper with intent to do him grievous bodily harm in October last year.

But on the day of his trial last month at Warwick Crown Court, he pleaded guilty to an alternative offence of unlawful wounding.

And yesterday he was sentenced to 15 months custody in a young offenders’ institution and ordered to pay a £140 victim surcharge.

The incident at the park in Bedworth town centre followed a clash between some friends, including 31-year-old Mr Harper, who had been playing football, and Botamba and another young man.

The incident at around 3.20pm on a Sunday, led to Mr Harper being taken to hospital by ambulance with a wound to his lower back – and Botamba being snapped walking away with the knife in his hand.

After Botamba had entered his guilty plea, prosecutor Lisa Hancox said: “There were two parts to the argument between the groups, and the end of the first part was when a gentleman from the complainant’s group took his shirt off.

“After that Adam Harper saw the other male pass this defendant a knife, and the defendant and that other person left for a few minutes.

“When the pair return to continue the argument, this defendant and his friend are both seen to produce knives from their clothing.

“This defendant is waving his knife around, and males in the complainant’s group have weapons, or at least are holding items. The Crown say they do that in response to knowing there’s a knife.”

Miss Hancox said another man turned up with a golf club in response to a call he had received from his son.

“It is then on exiting the scene that Mr Botamba stabs Adam Harper once to the lower back,” added Miss Hancox.

Gareth Gimson, defending, had argued last month at Warwick Crown Court that Botamba had found the knife on the floor. He then asked for time to speak to Botamba again – and when he returned, he told the judge: “Mr Botamba accepts the Crown’s case as it has been outlined.”