Teen stabbed over ‘trivial incident’ at town bus station
A TEENAGER was stabbed over a ‘trivial’ incident at Huddersfield bus station, a jury has been told in an attempted murder trial.
The 18-year-old’s injuries included an eight to 10cm wound from his lip to his ear and he had to have 10cm of his small bowel removed.
Tafadzwa Katsande, also known as Taffy, is on trial accused of stabbing the teenager during a fight on Meltham Road in Lockwood on the afternoon of March 15, 2018.
Leeds Crown Court heard police recovered a Bowie knife with a nineinch blade from the scene and it contained both teenagers’ DNA.
The now 22-year-old, of no fixed address, denies attempted murder and an alternative charge of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
Background prosecutor Mark McKone QC said. Katsande, then aged 19, stabbed the complainant over a ‘very trivial’ incident that had happened five weeks earlier at the bus station, adding: “Katsande stood close to [the complainant] and looked at him. He felt like Katsande was studying him.
“When he looked at Katsande, Katsande asked him what he was looking at. [The complainant] said, ‘Shut your mouth.’
“He saw a handle of what looked like a knife sticking out of Katsande’s trousers. [The complainant] smiled at Katsande so as to pretend he was not bothered by what had happened, but in fact he felt unnerved.”
Mr McKone said Katsande spotted the complainant and his girlfriend in the bus station five weeks later and shouted, “What?”
Katsande followed the couple onto a bus, adding: “Katsande came upstairs shortly after them and sat on the seat next to the back seat.
“He was on the right-hand side, but on the seat closest to the aisle. The two young men were about five feet apart.
“Before the bus set off, Katsande said, ‘We’re going to get off the bus and handle this beef.’”
The court was told Katsande started shouting so the complainant felt too embarrassed to decline to fight him and they got off the bus, leaving the girlfriend on the bus.
The prosecutor said the complainant had a knife in his bag that he had found the day before but it was not produced during the incident.
Jurors were told there was a struggle for about 30 seconds, during which the complainant tried to grab the knife, cutting his hands, and tried to twist it out of Katsande’s hands.
The pair ended up on the floor with the complainant on top of Katsande.
Police were called and people started to go over to them so Katsande dropped the knife and ran off, jurors were told.
A witness described how a male had ‘looked as if he was trying to push the knife into’ the complainant. She picked the knife up when it was dropped.
Speaking about Katsande, the complainant told police: “[He] was like a man possessed. He repeatedly said he was to kill me and he wasn’t playing.
“Every time I tried to get away he seemed more determined.”
Later that night, Katsande attended the accident and emergency department in Huddersfield Royal Infirmary with a deep cut around the base of his left thumb. He was arrested at the hospital.
Katsande’s defence statement says he expected a fist fight with the complainant but the complainant grabbed his knife. caused during the struggle.
Mr McKone said the jury will have to determine who took the knife out of the sheath, if the defendant deliberately stabbed the complainant, if the defendant intended to kill the complainant and if not, if the defendant intended to cause really serious harm to him.