MACHETE HORROR ON CITY STREET
GANG’S STAB ATTACK ON TEEN VICTIM AS SHOCKED PARENTS COLLECTED CHILDREN FROM SCHOOL
A BOY was attacked by a gang of youths and stabbed in broad daylight on a Cardiff street as parents collected their children from school.
The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was punched through a car door, before being pulled out of the vehicle, dragged along the floor, kicked repeatedly and stabbed.
A woman who was picking her daughter up from nursery told the youths to stop kicking the boy and heard someone shout: “He’s got a knife.”
Brothers Curtis and Kane Walker were sentenced at Cardiff Crown Court yesterday for their roles in the attack, along with their 17-year-old co-defendant, who also cannot be named.
The court heard the incident happened in Gabalfa at about 4.50pm on Thursday, July 4.
Roger Griffiths, prosecuting, said a resident heard “shouting and swearing” outside his house on Waterston Road.
The witness, who was working from home, looked out of the window and saw a group gathered around a white Ford Fiesta by the junction with Gabalfa Avenue.
Prosecutors said he carried on working, then a few moments later heard someone shout they were going to call the police.
He saw another group walking towards the car and filmed the incident on his phone.
Judge Tracey Lloyd-Clarke said: “He could see as they approached that the incident was about to escalate and that violence was about to take place.”
The footage showed the victim, who was sitting in the passenger seat, being attacked while he was in the car, before being pulled out and dragged along the floor.
Prosecutors said Curtis Walker was heard to shout: “Give me the machete.” Then his teenage co-defendant ran forward with a large kitchen knife and stabbed the victim.
Another woman, who had her young son in the car, was driving along the road and witnessed the attack.
The court heard the complainant pulled a knife out after he was stabbed and subsequently did not cooperate with the police.
Mr Griffiths said it was a “sustained and repeated” assault, adding the knife used by the group was never recovered.
Curtis Walker, who has 21 previous offences on his record, answered “no comment” to all of the questions put to him in his police interview.
The 19-year-old, from Caernarvon Way in Trowbridge, admitted violent disorder and was found guilty of attempted wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
Hashim Salmman, defending, said he did not have any previous convictions for violence and suggested his offending was “out of character” in that context.
He told the court his client did not kick the victim or hold the knife during the attack. A pre-sentence report noted Curtis Walker’s father was violent and “extremely familiar with the criminal justice system”.
The defendant, who has now left the care of the local authority, was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and oppositional defiant disorder.
Mr Salmman said his client was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder at a young age, after witnessing a family member being covered in petrol and set alight.
The court heard Curtis Walker was taken out of mainstream education and is currently working towards qualifications in carpentry.
His brother Kane Walker, who has 38 previous offences on his record, gave a prepared statement to the police, claiming he was acting in self-defence.
Prosecutors said the offence was committed just seven weeks after he was released from custody. Kane Walker, 20, from Monthermer Road in Roath, admitted violent disorder.
Prosecutors said the 17-year-old, who also gave a “no comment” interview, had previous convictions including assault, affray and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
The court heard he hit a victim with a metal pole, causing him head injuries, when groups from Ely and Fairwater met for a fight in July 2017.
Mr Griffiths said while he was in custody for that offence, he became violent towards the detention officers and started spitting at them.
The 17-year-old defendant admitted attempted wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
Curtis Walker was sent to a young offender institution for five years, Kane Walker for two years and four months, and the 17-tear-old for three years and nine months.
Further defendants are due to be sentenced at the youth court.