Teen who 'lost his way' jailed for almost six years after stabbing man in street

Stab victim had to have surgery to remove part of bowel

A teenager from Douglas who stabbed another man in the street has been jailed for almost six years.

Callum Kelly’s actions left his victim needing surgery to remove part of his bowel following the incident on 13 July last year.

At Douglas Courthouse today (27 October) the 19-year-old, from Spring Valley Road, was told he’d caused a ‘grave injury’ to the 17-year-old.

Kelly had denied wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm but was convicted after a trial in September at the Court of General Gaol Delivery.

Jurors heard the 999 call, made from Groves Road at around 2.30am, and watched a video which showed the moment the victim was stabbed once in the stomach.

"An arranged dust off"

Kelly’s advocate told the court his client, who was also 17 at the time of the incident, had ‘certainly lost his way’.

He said two men, who were cousins, had ‘come for’ Kelly, who had no previous convictions - armed with weapons including a knuckle-duster - after a ‘juvenile’ dispute.

“It sounds like an arranged dust-off,” he added.

Kelly, the advocate said, had responded by arming himself with a large kitchen knife – the injury caused, he added, was ‘unpleasant’ and one that ‘could have taken the man’s life’.

“There is mitigation here and that predominantly is his youth and immaturity,” he told the court.

“Something has clearly gone very wrong for this young man.” – Steve Wood (Advocate)  

The court heard Kelly was arrested at 7.30pm on 13 July – when police searched the rucksack he was carrying they found almost one kilogram of cannabis with a street value of more than £18,600.

It also contained £7,325.

Kelly had previously pleaded guilty to possessing an offensive weapon, possession of cannabis with intent to supply and possessing criminal cash.

"Not easy"

Addressing Kelly in the dock Deemster Graeme Cook said he believed the dispute between the men had concerned drugs and Kelly was trying to call the victim’s ‘bluff’.

He told the teen he should have contacted the police when the men arrived near his home but instead said he’d taken a knife and gone outside adding: “You made the choice at that stage to engage.

“You plunged the knife you were carrying into his stomach area,” the deemster added - detailing how Kelly had struck when the victim tripped and fell in the road.

The court was told the victim had chosen not to give evidence at the trial.

“How I deal with you is not easy,” Deemster Cook told the teenager.

Jailing him for five years and nine months the deemster added: “It gives me no pleasure at all to impose such a sentence.”