Police say it was 'very lucky' that 'shocking' Emsworth knifing by man did not kill friend during drunk fight

As reported, Alfie Breakspear, 18, was jailed for three and a half years at Portsmouth Crown Court on Thursday following after knifing his friend in Emsworth on March 2.

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The court heard ‘drunk’ Breakspear became involved in a heated row with a friend inside a house in North Street where pals had gathered. The two males then ‘squared up’ before punching each other and then falling to the floor and ‘rolling over each other’.

During the scrap, Breakspear stabbed his friend in the stomach and bottom, resulting in bleeding coming from the wound close to the victim’s kidneys. ‘I didn’t mean to hurt him,’ Breakspear said after the incident before making efforts to stop police being called.

The victim was rushed to hospital with the injury initially thought to be life threatening. After surgery to close the stab wound, the 20-year-old male was released from hospital on antibiotics.

Following the sentence, police staff investigator Nikki Ginn of Hampshire Constabulary’s Criminal Investigation Department, who led the investigation, said: ‘The victim in this case was taken to hospital with what were initially life-threatening injuries, and it is very lucky that this incident did not have far graver consequences.

‘Making that decision to pick up a bladed weapon creates the very real risk that you could kill or seriously injure someone. This case makes that shocking reality clear. The victim in this case survived the injuries inflicted by Breakspear, but the outcome could have been significantly worse.

‘We regularly make proactive efforts to target knife carriers and remove weapons from the streets. This work won’t stop, and we hope that anyone thinking of carrying recognises that there are serious consequences both for themselves and others when they make that decision to pick up a weapon.’

Havant Chief Inspector Habib Rahman said: ‘Knife crime will continue to be a priority for us here in Havant and Waterlooville to ensure that people feel safe in their communities. We will continue to work with partners and will relentlessly pursue criminals who choose to carry a knife and be involved in criminal activity.

‘I would encourage anyone who knows anyone carrying a knife or in fear from knife crime to report this via one of the links below, as we need the community to help us identify those individuals involved in knife crime and prevent harm.’

The court heard Breakspear, of Radcliffe Road, Southampton, had two previous knife possession offences along with battery and drugs offences.

He admitted grievous bodily harm without intent, robbery and possession of cannabis. The robbery and cannabis offences related to an incident in Southampton on September 11 last year when Breakspear and an accomplice attacked a man and stole his £500 bike. Police later found 12g of cannabis on Breakspear.

You can report a crime anonymously via Crimestoppers: crimestoppers-uk.org/ or Fearless: www.safe4me.co.uk/portfolio/knife-street-crime/

Find out more about knife crime and what you can do: crimestoppers-uk.org/news-campaigns

To report a crime call 101 or in an emergency it’s 999.