A teenager was stabbed on his way to school by a robber who demanded his trainers. Jamal Adam-Neale stabbed the teenager twice ‘at random’ after telling an unidentified accomplice ‘give me the knife, I’ll do it’.
He was later arrested after police spotted him riding his blood-stained bike through Liverpool city centre. He dropped a knife from his shorts. A judge warned the thug could face life imprisonment if he commits further violent offences.
Liverpool Crown Court heard how the victim was on his way to school in Smithdown Road to prepare for his GCSE exam at around 7am on May 20. He noticed two men on bicycles watching him near a bus stop at the junction with Alderson Road in Wavertree.
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Prosecutor Arthur Gibson described how one of the attackers grabbed the boy and threatened him with a penknife, demanding his bank cards and trainers. When the boy resisted, Adam-Neale told his partner: “Give me the knife, I’ll do it.”
The 19-year-old, of no fixed address, was seen on CCTV ‘lunging at his victim’s torso’. Although the first shot missed, the second hit the boy in the upper right arm, the Liverpool Echo reports.
While both attackers fled on their bikes, the victim managed to run home and was taken to hospital for treatment to a 1cm wound that required stitches.
In a statement read out in court, the victim said the robbery caused him to miss an exam and leave him with a scar near his bicep. “The experience came back to me several times at school and I had to leave the room,” he added.
“I was going to school to study and take a test, but I ended up going to the hospital. Because the injury was near an artery, I could have died and it could have been much worse.”
Adam-Neale was seen wearing a ‘distinctive jacket’ during the attack, which was captured on CCTV. He was later seen cycling along Nelson Street in Chinatown at around 2.45pm wearing the same jacket on a bike which appeared to have blood stains.
The teenager was caught and a search revealed the knife used in the attack – identifiable by the words ‘cold steel’ on the blade – fell from his shorts. Adam-Neale’s criminal record includes a four-month prison sentence in 2021 for carrying a bladed object in a public place, followed by a 52-month sentence for wounding with intent.
Matthew O’Neill, defending, said: “This was undoubtedly a horrific experience, fortunately the injury was not as serious as it could have been. He is a young man. He has had some adverse experiences as a child. His mother sadly passed away very suddenly when he was five years old.
“He was then put into the care system for a number of years until his father could look after him. He has obvious issues with anger but he is also a very motivated person. He has told me that we have now got to the point where he is using his time in prison as productively as possible and he wants to come out a better person so that he can stay away from offending in the future. There are some positive aspects to Mr Adam-Neale’s personality.
“Unfortunately, until he resolves his anger issues, he will always be a risk to society. Work can be done with the defendant in custody to resolve these issues.”
Adam-Neale pleaded guilty to wounding with intent, attempted robbery and possessing a bladed article in a public place. Wearing a turquoise Under Armour T-shirt in the dock, he was sentenced to six years in prison, plus three years on licence.
Judge David Potter said: “He had the misfortune of passing you and another person. As soon as he passed you decided to rob him. His bank cards and trainers were demanded from him at knifepoint. He refused. You stabbed him deliberately and almost without cause. The first stab wound was to his torso.
“This one was not connected but the second went into her upper arm. It caused a wound which did not require medical treatment other than closing it with stitches, but the risk of serious harm is clear and your intent to cause her serious harm is demonstrated by your guilty plea.
“He thinks about this incident and thinks he could have been killed or had more serious injuries. He has difficulty sleeping and has lost his appetite and his mother is very worried about him. It is clear that knife crime is still a major problem in Merseyside. It has a devastating impact on the lives of victims, families and communities, not just through the loss of life but also through life-changing injuries, both physical and mental trauma.
“You are still a young man. I take into account your experiences as a child. I accept that you have used your time in custody constructively and hope that you will use that sentence in a way that will reduce the likelihood of you committing crimes on your release. Time will tell.
“I must warn you. If you commit the crime of wounding in Article 18 again, you will be sentenced to life imprisonment.