Court told of stabbing on top deck of bus
A TEENAGER who injured one youth with a piece of stone and then stabbed another has been sentenced to seven-and- a-half years' custody.
Drug-user Adam Smith, of Lepton, who will be 18 this month, attacked his first victim in March, 2004.
The 17-year-old victim, Stephen Proctor, had to have 20 stitches put in a cut behind his left ear.
Smith, of Ings Way East, later told a probation officer he felt as if he wanted to kill Mr Proctor when he hurled a piece of dry-stone wall at him.
Smith said he threw the stone because he thought a friend was going to be hit.
Despite facing a wounding charge for that incident Smith tried to rob 17-year- old Daniel Little seven months later, after seeing him use his Nokia mobile phone on a bus going towards Lepton.
Prosecutor Stephen Uttley told Bradford Crown Court yesterday that Smith, who was on the top deck, demanded the phone and then produced a 4in knife.
When Mr Little refused to hand the phone over Smith stabbed him in the chest. Fortunately the knife blade folded and he was only scratched.
Mr Uttley said Smith straightened out the blade and as Mr Little tried to get away he stabbed him in the neck, causing a puncture wound.
One witness described seeing a pool of blood on the floor. Mr Little told the driver about the attack.
Mr Little went to hospital, where the injury was glued and dressed.
Smith, who had previous convictions, including arson, was sent to a young offenders' institution after he admitted unlawful wounding in respect of the attack with the stone and the attempted robbery.
Judge Linda Sutcliffe said she had considered whether to pass a discretionary life sentence on Smith because of the risk he was to the public.
She added: "This is an extremely difficult case in which to sentence . . . it is very difficult to know exactly what risk you are going to pose.
"Both of the offences . . . indicate that you are a risk to the public, especially when you have taken drugs."
Judge Sutcliffe noted that reports about Smith suggested he was making progress in dealing with his drug use.
"I have a real fear that if I impose a life sentence in this case that will destroy whatever motivation you have got to work with authorities to address that risk," she concluded.
Barrister Giles Bridge, for Smith, admitted that his client's offending had become more serious because of his increasing use and misuse of Ecstasy and amphetamine.
But he said that while Smith had been in custody for the last eight months he had been able to stop taking drugs and there had been no serious incidents with other inmates.
