Teenager found with blade in his school bag

A TEENAGER who stabbed another youth in Huddersfield has been given a new sixmonth rehabilitation order after being caught with a Stanley knife blade in his school bag.

The 17-year-old, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, appeared before a senior judge at Bradford Crown Court after being convicted at the youth court last month of possession of a bladed article on school premises.

The boy had been made the subject of a one-year youth rehabilitation order in January for the previous offence of causing grievous bodily harm with intent and the Recorder of Bradford Judge Jonathan Durham Hall QC heard yesterday that the teenager was regularly searched when he attended the educational unit.

In March, a member of staff found the knife blade, with masking tape used to make a handle, in the zipped up pocket of the teenager’s bag. He initially denied knowing it was there, but later said he used the blade at work and had forgotten to take it out of the bag.

Judge Durham Hall was told that an intensive supervision and surveillance programme was working and he described a youth offending team (YOT) report on the teenager as ‘brilliant’.

The judge said the teenager had clearly impressed the YOT staff and he noted that there had been no further incidents or issues.

He said it was a ‘no-brainer’ to protect the public in a meaningful way by imposing a new six-month rehabilitation order which includes a 10-day programme requirement.

But Judge Durham Hall warned the teenager he would be brought back before him if he ‘did anything daft’.

The judge added: “The press and the public will be all over me like a rash. They’ll blame me, not you, if you do anything daft.

“You’ve been alright for some nine months and you’ve got strong people willing you on.”