A teenager with an ‘obsession’ for weapons posted a video of a terrifying combat knife on Snapchat after almost killing a 16-year-old boy.
In the chilling clip, featuring a serrated blade which appeared to have blood on it, Kyle McGuinness wrote ‘enjoy the hospital’ in an accompanying message.
Shortly before posting the video, McGuinness, 17, had stabbed a 16-year-old boy, leaving him fighting for his life. McGuinness took to Snapchat and wrote: “Two of you tried dukking (stabbing) me down. Shame, enjoy the hospital lad’, followed by two laughing emojis.
About five months later, after he’d been given bail following the appalling attack in Ashton town centre, McGuinness went on to stab another young man in Trafford, Manchester. Now a judge has declared him ‘dangerous’ and said he had an ‘obsession’ with weapons.
McGuinness can be named for the first time after Manchester Evening News successfully applied to have reporting restrictions imposed due to his age lifted. Manchester Crown Court heard that McGuinness had got off a bus in Ashton, at about 10pm on August 18, after spending the evening with his girlfriend.
He was ‘accosted’ by two 16-year-old boys on Penny Meadow before they started having an argument, at about 10pm on August 18. They started having a bizarre row over ‘territory’ after they confronted McGuinness.
“What the f***, are you good bro?”, the 16-year-old victim said. The row then referenced ‘Bridge’, slang for Stalybridge. “Where’s Bridge? I don’t even know where Bridge is bro,” the defendant said.
“Where’s your boyy? Tell me where the f*** he is,” the 16-year-old said. McGuinness, who was said to be ‘terrified’, ran away and the two 16-year-olds began to chase him along Penny Meadow.
McGuinness suddenly stopped and stabbed one of them to the chest, after pulling a knife from his waistband.
The teenager was able to make his way to a nearby takeaway and slumped in a chair, losing a lot of blood, prosecutor Julian King said. He was rushed to hospital and was admitted to intensive care, spending ten days in hospital.
A judge said he would have died without the specialist skills of medics at the Manchester Royal Infirmary. After the stabbing, McGuinness returned to the care home nearby where he was living, and admitted he’d stabbed someone but claimed he acted in ‘self defence’, fearing he was going to be attacked.
He looked ‘scared’ and was breathing heavily, the court heard. After police attended, he referenced the comments prior to the attack, telling officers: “I said it to make myself look hard in front of everyone.”
The victim’s mother said: “I still have nightmares about the night he was attacked. No parent should ever have that phone call. I live in constant fear that someone could attack him again.”
The defendant was given bail under an ‘intensive’ package of supervision. But he went on to stab another victim in broad daylight at about 10am on January 15.
Two young men, aged 16 and 21, were chatting outside shops on Upper Chorlton Road in Old Trafford. At first they seemed to be on friendly terms, and CCTV footage showed them hugging.
But later the mood turned sour. After McGuinness arrived, the 21-year-old ‘lunged’ at him while armed with a hammer.
McGuinness then stabbed him to the chest, and the 16-year-old began repeatedly punching him, kicking and stamping on him. The attackers fled, and the victim struggled to stand up.
He was rushed to the major trauma ward at the MRI, after suffering a punctured lung. The 16-year-old was sentenced at the youth court for the ‘savage’ attack.
McGuinness has several previous convictions, and was said to be ‘entrenched’ in the ‘culture’ of knife crime. His barrister Gwen Henshaw said the ‘glamorisation’ of knife crime was a ‘tragic backdrop’ to the case.
“The defendant had become so entrenched in that lifestyle and in the culture that he we can see him photographing and filming knives,” she said. Ms Henshaw said McGuinness had also been the victim of knife crime.
“He bears the scars on his body,” she said. She said the defendant has a low IQ and has suffered from undiagnosed ADHD. He suffered violence as a child and was placed in care, she added.
Judge Anthony Cross QC said McGuinness had displayed an ‘obsession’ with knives. A knife, as well as an empty box for a ‘hunter’s type’ blade were recovered.
McGuinness, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to section 20 assault, section 18 assault, and two counts of possessing a bladed article. He received a nine year extended sentence, comprising of five years in prison, and four year extended licence period.
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