Teen "left for dead" after drug debt stabbing attack, court told

Tuesday 07 March 2023

An 18-year-old boy was stabbed 23 times then "left for dead" on an estate over an unpaid drugs debt, the Royal Court heard yesterday.

The victim suffered "life-threatening’ and "life-changing" injuries, jurors heard on the first day of the trial of three teenagers following the incident on 9 January last year in the Le Geyt estate in St. Saviour.

A fourth teenager, 18-year-old Jayden Howard, has already pleaded guilty to attempted murder and possession of an offensive weapon in a public place and is not involved in the trial.

Of the three in court this week, one of them, 19-year-old Alex Diogo Franca De Jesus, is accused of the same two offences.

"The victim found himself confronted by four men"

He admits possession of an offensive weapon but denies attempted murder, instead pleading guilty to the alternative charge of grave and criminal assault.

The two other teenage boys, who cannot be named due to their age, both deny grave and criminal assault and affray.

Pictured: The case is being heard in the Royal Court.

Outlining the prosecution's case, Advocate Matthew Maletroit said that De Jesus owed the victim money for drugs and had arranged to meet him near bike sheds at 22:00 on the night of the incident, on the pretext of handing over the payment.

Advocate Maletroit said: "The victim found himself confronted by four men, at least two of whom were armed with knives.

"Unarmed and outnumbered, he was the victim of a horrific attack. He was stabbed multiple times and left for dead.

"It was a planned and targeted attack. The injuries were life-threatening and life-changing."

Knife was left protruding from victim's back

The jury heard a recording of a 999 call the victim made to the ambulance service, in which the operator asked: "What part of the body is injured?"

The teenager replied: "Everywhere."

The jury was also shown body-worn footage from a police officer who found the victim lying in bushes near the bike sheds.

One of the knives used in the attack was found at the scene, and the other can be seen on the footage protruding from the victim's back.

One part of the blade was removed at the General Hospital, while the other had to be extracted in an operation at Southampton Hospital.

Pictured: The victim was initially treated at the General Hospital, but then had to be flown to Southampton due to the severity of his injuries.

Advocate Maletroit said it was clear that De Jesus had wanted to kill the victim to escape the drug debt he had no way of paying.

"The attack was sudden and frenzied"

He added: "The attack was sudden and frenzied. There is no doubt that, but for the prompt emergency treatment he received, he would have died."

De Jesus has claimed that only Howard stabbed the victim, but the advocate asked: "Is it really believable that after breaking his own knife, Howard took De Jesus's knife, returned to the victim and lodged a second knife in his back?"

He added that the two other teenagers were also guilty of the offences with which they are charged, saying: "They took part either physically or by encouraging or supporting their friends in the attack."

The trial is due to resume on Thursday and is expected to last for another week.

Pictured top: Police near the scene of attack on Le Geyt estate, by Unifare stores. (Jon Guegan)