Man stabbed teenager on coast path

A DEVON man has been found guilty of stabbing a teen on the coast path in Torquay. Jack Callow, 25, was accused of putting a knife to the throat of a 17-year-old near Petitor Road and demanding his belongings.

The teen was left covered in blood and taken to hospital where doctors treated him for a punctured lung and a slash wound to the hand. There was a large 999 response after Callow fled and hid in a nearby garden.

After a trial at Exeter Crown Court a jury cleared Callow of attempted robbery and the most serious charge of wounding with intent. But they found he was responsible for the violence and convicted him of causing GBH without intent. He was also found guilty of having a blade in a public place.

The incident happened on January 23. The victim was walking with a friend along the scenic path when they encountered Callow, who they did not know. The prosecution alleged that Callow suddenly produced a knife and demanded the teen’s bag.

The knifing happened when the two were grappling on the floor. The second teen punched and kicked Callow in the head to get him off his friend. The victim lost 200ml of blood, paramedics reported. Callow was later found hiding in a garden in Redcliffe Road.

The defendant denied all charges, saying the teens attacked him over a drug debt and threatened to throw him off the cliff. He denied ever having a knife and had no idea how the wound was inflicted. The defendant, of Perinville Road, will be sentenced on August 5 after pre-sentence reports.