Screams of ‘oh my god’ and ‘what the f*** lad’ were heard as the violent incident unfolded in Liverpool city centre
A video still of a teenager appearing to pull out a machete during the brawl in Chavasse Park
Two teenagers have admitted offences after a machete attack in Liverpool city centre. A 17-year-old boy suffered a slash wound to his arm when he was assaulted by a gang on the steps of Chavasse Park.
Another 17-year-old male, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, and 18-year-old Aaron Rodwell were brought before Liverpool Crown Court this afternoon, Monday, in connection with the incident. Appearing via video link to HMP Liverpool, the latter, of Knowsley Road in Bootle, pleaded guilty to an offence of violent disorder.
The youth, from South Liverpool and appearing remotely from a young offenders’ institute, previously admitted attempting to cause grievous bodily harm, affray, possession of a bladed article in a public place and possession of cannabis. Both will now be sentenced on August 10 this year, being further remanded into custody until this date.
Adjourning the case and order pre-sentence reports, psychological reports and psychiatric reports, Judge David Swinnerton told them: “You will both be sentenced on the 10th of August. Before the court proceeds to sentence, the court will be assisted by knowing the full background about you, particularly given your young ages.
“Because I am adjourning, that is not to give you any promises or guarantees what your sentence is going to be. You need to understand that.”
The ECHO previously reported that the incident occurred at around 7.15pm on April 6 this year, with the victim sustaining a minor slash wound to his arm and swelling to his head. Distressing video footage which was widely shared online showed a group of teenagers wearing dark hooded jackets throwing kicks and punches towards their target before one assailant appeared to pull out a machete and swing it down towards his arm.
Screams of “oh my god” and “what the f*** lad” could be heard as the louts then fled the scene on foot. Merseyside Police’s Detective Chief Inspector Stephen Ball previously said of the altercation: “This is believed to be a targeted attack, and the victim was left very distressed from the attack. He was treated in hospital and has since been discharged.
“The incident would also have been upsetting and alarming for people who saw it. We are aware of a video circulating on social media, and we ask people not to share the video while the investigation is ongoing
“Tackling knife crime remains a priority for Merseyside Police and we will take robust action against anyone found to be in possession of a knife. The use of knives and any weapons is reckless and will not be tolerated, and can have devastating consequences, not only for the victim and their family but also for the offenders involved.
“I would urge people to educate themselves and speak to their children and family members about the dangers of knife crime. We continue to seek out those involved in knife crime, enticing young and vulnerable people to carry weapons or involved in gangs.”