A man has thanked West Midlands Police as a 15 year old boy is jailed for 18 years after stabbing him in the chest four times in a carjacking in Selly Oak in October last year.
Shrewsbury man Christian Flood, 22, was visiting friends at Birmingham University when he and a friend were attacked as they got out of his friend’s car in Heeley Road at around 6am on the 7th October 2018. Two teenagers demanded the keys to the car.
Christian was attacked and, believing he had been punched several times in the chest, managed to make it into a friend’s flat before his true injuries were discovered.
He had been stabbed four times in the chest with one of the wounds piercing his aorta.
Having been technically dead for several minutes, paramedics and hospital staff saved Christian’s life.
Detective Constable Martin O’Neill said: “The paramedics did a fantastic job in saving his life; he suffered two cardiac arrests and they needed to perform an open chest procedure to stem the bleeding before surgeons operated in hospital.”
Witnesses described the offenders as arriving and leaving in a silver Nissan Micra.
And at around 11am the same morning – less than four hours after the stabbing – lads aged 17 and 15 were arrested in Staffordshire.
Detectives seized clothing matching that worn by the offenders and analysis of mobile phones showed the pair – who cannot be named for legal reasons – were in the Selly Oak area at the time of the offence.
The 15-year-old was also found in possession of keys to the Nissan Micra – later confirmed as being stolen – which was recovered in Falklands Croft, Stirchley. Officers found a claw hammer, understood to have been used during the robbery, inside the vehicle.
The youths refused to answer questions during interview but West Midlands Police had gathered enough evidence to charge the 15-year-old with attempted murder and both with six attempted robberies, included an attack on three students in Selly Hill Road 20 minutes before the stabbing when one victim was shoved into a fence and kicked to the floor.
And at Birmingham Crown Court on Friday (3r May) the 15-year-old was jailed for a total of 18 years, while the 17-year-old was given a 50-month custodial sentence; both admitted the offences.
Investigating Officer Detective Constable Martin O’Neill from West Midlands Police Force CID, said: “This was a sickening attack on a young man visiting friends in the city…what should have been an enjoyable evening ended tragically and with long-term consequences through no fault of his own.
“Detectives managed to identify two suspects very quickly who were stopped by Staffordshire Police colleagues shortly after the attack. I’m pleased we’ve been able to get justice for Christian and his family by catching the teenagers responsible – and it’s been very humbling to receive messages of thanks from him and his family.
“We all wish Christian our very best wishes in his continued recovery.”
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