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A teenager, who stabbed a young drug dealer 23 times and left him “for dead” with a knife in his back, boasted about the brutal attack in a rap song recorded on his phone, a court heard today as he was thrown behind bars alongside an accomplice for a total of 21 years.
Alex Diogo Franca De Jesus (19) – who was sentenced to 12 years’ youth detention – denied a charge of attempted murder but was convicted by a jury following a Royal Court trial.
Jayden Howard had already admitted attempted murder and was not involved in the trial. He received nine years at HMP La Moye.
The attack near Unifare Stores on 9 January saw the teenage victim ambushed, stabbed and then dragged to such a secluded area that he was difficult to find by the Emergency Services.
The then-18-year-old victim was able to call for help on a mobile and was airlifted to Southampton Hospital the next day for emergency surgery.
He suffered two punctured lungs and damage to his liver, and had to have an operation at Southampton Hospital to remove part of the blade of a knife from his back. His injuries were described as "life-changing".
During a sentencing hearing on Tuesday, the Royal Court heard that De Jesus had previously regularly bought cannabis from the victim and over time his consumption and drug debts has risen to as much as £1,600.
Pictured: The victim, who was stabbed more than 20 times, had to call 999 for himself.
The victim, who was said to have made violent threats to De Jesus, was lured there on the pretence of being paid. But, as Crown Advocate Matthew Maletroit explained, he had "neither the intention nor the means" to pay.
During the trial, De Jesus said he had given the victim his phone to call for an ambulance. Advocate Rebecca Morley-Kirk, defending, emphasised his remorse and asked for a sentence of 12 years or less.
Defending Howard, Advocate Steenson explained that Howard had only gone as a "back-up" to De Jesus and that was "ashamed" of having later recorded a rap video about the attack.
Following the sentencing, Detective Constable Joao Carvalho, the officer in charge of the investigation, commented: "This was a vicious attack, which left the victim with life changing injuries.
"It's been a long and complex investigation, but we hope this sentencing sends out a strong message to anyone thinking of carrying a knife and we hope that the victim can find some solace from today's verdict whilst he continues to recover from his injuries."
Commissioner John Saunders was presiding. He was sitting with Jurats Jane Ronge, Robert Christensen, Elizabeth Du Lake, Gareth Hughes, Karen Le Cornu, David Le Heuzé and Michael Berry.
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Pictured top: De Jesus, the blade of the knife that was left embedded in the victim's back, and Howard.
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