A simple Snapchat post about a teen’s 18th birthday led to a “frenzied” knife attack where a man was stabbed 11 times during a fight caused by a social-media bust-up.
The victim, who had posted a photo of himself and three friends celebrating his birthday in a hot tub, was “goaded” by 22-year-old Kyle Bentley who responded with insulting messages and laughing emojis on the instant-messaging app, York Crown Court heard.
Bentley, who didn’t even know the victim save for being linked on social media, challenged the victim to a fight and the scene was set for a horrific incident in the close-knit village of Thorpe Willoughby in the early hours of the morning.
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Prosecutor Elizabeth Muir said the victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, took up the challenge because he didn’t want to be seen to be backing down.
Initially not rising to the taunting, he and his friends went to the village pub, The Fox, for drinks but still the nasty messages dripped through on Snapchat from Bentley, who called the victim all manner of offensive names.
The teenager and his mates returned to a friend’s house in Fir Tree Way where he received more “disparaging” messages from Bentley who sent the teenager a picture of himself wearing a balaclava and with his hood up, offering to meet him for a fight in Thorpe Park.
“(The victim) said he was shocked by the comments because he had never met Kyle Bentley,” said Ms Muir.
“The defendant put a post up asking if anybody knew (the victim’s) address.” She said Bentley told him he knew where his house was.
Four-inch kitchen knife
Finally, at about 2am, the victim agreed to the challenge and started making his way to the park, but as soon as he left the house, Bentley appeared from around the corner – with a four-inch kitchen knife.
The two men went at each other at the edge of the driveway, with punches thrown either way. The fight spilled out into the street, where Bentley plunged a knife into the victim.
“(The victim) believed he was being punched by the defendant initially,” said Ms Muir.
“He tried to take (Bentley) to the floor, but the defendant was continuing to strike out at him. It was while (Bentley) was on the floor and striking out that (the victim) felt two sharp blows to the leg and realised he was in fact being stabbed.
“He shouted to his friends that he had been stabbed and they tried to intervene. They were trying to get (Bentley) away from him.”
Eventually, a woman from the friend’s house came out and pulled the two men apart. She lifted Bentley off the ground, pushed him away and “threw him down the street”.
“Once back inside the property, (the victim) realised he had been stabbed rather than punched and had been stabbed multiple times in his abdomen and on his back,” said Ms Muir.
“His friends tried to give him first aid by putting plasters on the wounds.”
The victim phoned his mother who took him to hospital where his stab wounds were stitched and closed with sutures and stereo strips.
Lucky to survive
“He had a stab wound to his lower left chest and one to his lower back,” said Ms Muir.
There were other, superficial wounds to his stomach, chest and thigh. There were 11 stab wounds in total.
Bentley was arrested just before 11am the same day at the home of one of his friends. He denied he had been in Thorpe Willoughby and claimed he had been at his friend’s house until 1.30am when he “went out for a spliff and a cycle”. He denied having met the victim for a fight.
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However, Bentley’s mother told police that one of her kitchen knives had been missing for a few days from her knife block. It was a black-handled kitchen knife with a blade about four inches’ long.
The victim said he had lost his job as a trainee bricklayer due to his injuries because he had taken time off work. The attack had had a “massive” effect on his daily life to the extent that he was scared to go out alone and now struggled to sleep due to flashbacks.
“He realises how lucky he is to survive,” said Ms Muir.
He was left with permanent, “visible” scars and doctors had told him how lucky he had been that the injuries weren’t more serious.
Sent to prison
The victim said in a statement: “I have spoken to my mum about leaving the area as I’m scared (Bentley) will attack me when he is released from custody.”
He still suffered intermittent “stabbing pains” and had been prescribed sleeping pills and anti-depressants since the knife attack.
Bentley, of Sherwood Drive, Thorpe Willoughby, ultimately admitted wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and carrying a blade. He appeared for sentence via video link on Friday.
Graham Parkin, mitigating, conceded that it was a “frenzied” knife attack.
Judge Timothy Clayson described as “miraculous” the fact that none of the stab wounds proved to be life-threatening.
He told Bentley: “There was here in my judgement the intention to cause significantly more serious harm than in fact occurred.”
Bentley was jailed for five years and nine months. He was also slapped with a lifetime restraining order banning him from contacting the victim.