A TEENAGER who stabbed a tennis coach twice in the stomach with a kitchen knife during a drunken street scuffle has been jailed for four years by a judge at Bournemouth Crown Court.

Shane Sheridan was told: "It's simple.

"Knife crimes, are, and will be severely punished."

The case comes as the Daily Echo reveals shocking new figures for the number of people caught carrying bladed weapons in Dorset - including one 10-year-old.

Sheridan, 19, of Borthwick Road, Boscombe, pleaded guilty to wounding Paul Handford with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and to possessing an offensive weapon.

Although the victim only spent one night in hospital, he had to take several weeks off work recovering.

Simon Jones, prosecuting, said the attack took place in Bournemouth town centre during the early hours of May 31.

Sheridan had been out drinking with friends, and Mr Handford was with a stag party.

The two groups, who were known to one another, left Elements nightclub at 1.50am. As they walked towards Dallas Chicken takeaway, Sheridan pushed Mr Handford and there was a scuffle, which was broken up by their friends.

Mr Handford stayed at the junction of Firvale Road and Old Christchurch Road, and when Sheridan returned to the scene, punched him twice in the face.

Sheridan then stabbed Mr Handford, leaving two puncture wounds in his abdomen.

Sheridan had been cautioned for common assault at Bliss in October 2006, and nearly a year later for fighting outside the same venue.

The court heard that Sheridan was well regarded at work, where he had been given a managerial role with a marketing company, but ran into problems when he became his 15-year-old brother's guardian.

His parents separated when he was 13 and his mother had taken up with a heroin user.

"On the night in question, he was at home when he got a call from his brother to say he was ill and what Mr Sheridan thought was in danger," said Les Smith, defending.

"Not knowing what he was going to confront, he took a small paring knife from the kitchen and went to meet his brother, who was just ill.

"He took him home, then went out for the night. He still had the knife in his pocket."

Mr Smith said it was the first time Sheridan had carried a knife. He was ashamed of his actions and had given himself up to the police.

Judge John Harrow told Sheridan: "The message from the courts is quite simple: knife crimes will be severely punished.

"This type of behaviour is so serious that inevitably a prison sentence will follow."

He gave Sheridan 12 months for possessing the knife, to run concurrently.

Officer in the case Detective Constable Martin Farrington said: "Despite the mitigation I believe that four years is justified."

  • Who is carrying knives? See today's (Tuesday's) Echo.