Banbury park stabbing: Teenager sentenced for 'feral' attack

A teenager has been sentenced to 12 years in a youth offenders institution after stabbing a man multiple times in a park.

Danils Bogdancevs, 21, was attacked in People's Park, Banbury, Oxfordshire, at about 16:00 BST on 11 June last year.

The boy, 17, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was previously found guilty of attempted murder.

Sentencing him, Judge Michael Gledhill KC described his behaviour during the attack as "feral".

Mr Bogdancevs had life-threatening injuries, including a punctured lung.

The trial heard how he was attacked by a group of youths in the busy park on a hot, sunny day.

They were later joined by the teenager in question, who was armed with a knife.

Judge Gledhill told him: "The group were attacking as a pack of animals and you did not hesitate to join them."

"You positioned yourself standing over his back. You had the knife in your hand and you stabbed him repeatedly six or seven times," he added.

"It was a deliberate, sustained, cold-blooded and vicious attempt to kill him."

But the judge also said the teenager was "not to be written off".

"You may be a significant risk to others at the moment, but I'm confident that risk will diminish over time, and that you will be able to reintegrate with society."

He said the teenager would serve half the sentence before being released on licence.

Two other boys were acquitted of attempted murder during the trial.

In a statement released after the sentencing, investigating officer Det Con Oli Harrison said it was a "vicious attack" that was "shocking in its ferocity".

He said: "The incident happened in full view of members of the public, who witnessed this horrifying and unprovoked attack.

"Had it not been for the quick thinking of many members of the public and medical professionals, the victim in this case may not have survived his injuries.

"I have nothing but praise for all of those who came to his aid when he needed it."

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