A 14-year-old boy has been sentenced after repeatedly stabbing a schoolgirl who rejected his advances and attempting to continue contacting her through fake social-media accounts. The attack happened inside a shop in Cirencester on 15 March 2026, leaving the girl traumatised and a shopkeeper injured after he intervened.
The boy, who cannot be identified because of his age, appeared before Bristol Crown Court, sitting as a youth court, on Monday, 21 September.
He had previously admitted wounding with intent, inflicting grievous bodily harm without intent and possessing a bladed article in a public place.
The court imposed a 12-month referral order and a three-year restraining order. The referral order means he must work with a youth offender panel, which will set a programme intended to address his behaviour and reduce the risk of further offending.
The restraining order limits his ability to contact or approach the girl. Breaching it could lead to further criminal proceedings.
Boy waited near shop with kitchen knife
The court heard that the two teenagers, who attended the same school, had briefly dated before the girl ended the relationship in December 2025.
After the relationship ended, the boy became fixated on her and allegedly used fake social-media accounts to continue sending messages after she blocked him.
On 15 March, he waited near a shop in Upper Churnside, Cirencester. When he saw the girl enter the shop to buy a drink, he followed her inside with a kitchen knife hidden in his jeans, according to Gloucestershire Constabulary.
He then grabbed her and struck her repeatedly with the weapon.
A shopkeeper tried to pull the boy away but was cut in the back. His intervention gave the girl an opportunity to escape from the shop and seek help at a nearby property.
Police were called at about 11.15am. Officers found the boy close to the scene and recovered a knife from his pocket.
The girl suffered cuts to her neck, face and hands, as well as bruising to her back. The shopkeeper also sustained a wound to his back.
Girl describes continuing fear and nightmares
In a statement read to the court, the girl explained that the attack had changed how safe she felt in public.
“I’m scared and nervous anywhere that I go,” she said, adding that sudden movements now caused her to flinch.
She also described suffering nightmares and struggling to trust other people. The teenager said she was being driven to work because she no longer felt comfortable going out alone.
Detective Superintendent Ian Fletcher, head of serious and complex investigations at Gloucestershire Constabulary, described the incident as a “frenzied attack” carried out in daylight.
He said the girl was fortunate that her injuries were not fatal and expressed hope that she would be able to rebuild her life.
Why the boy was not sent to youth detention
Judge Ian Lawrie described the case as a “very troubling event” but said he did not regard the boy as an ongoing danger.
The judge said the defendant remained young and was capable of learning from what happened. He also noted that the teenager had already spent about three months in custody before sentencing.
A referral order is not the same as imprisonment. It requires a child to attend meetings with a youth offender panel and comply with a contract that can include reparation, anger-management work and other interventions.
Government guidance says referral orders are intended to confront young offenders with the consequences of their behaviour while addressing the factors that contributed to the offence.
The court’s decision does not reduce the seriousness of the attack. It reflects the separate sentencing approach used for children, where rehabilitation and preventing further offending are important considerations.
Case raises concerns about rejection and online harassment
The case highlights how repeated unwanted messages, fake online profiles and controlling behaviour can develop into a serious safeguarding concern, even when those involved are children.
Parents and carers should encourage young people to report threatening messages, stalking or unwanted contact to a trusted adult, school safeguarding officer or police. Screenshots and other records should be preserved where it is safe to do so.
Anyone facing immediate danger in the UK should call 999. Non-emergency concerns can be reported to the police on 101.
The boy’s identity remains protected by law, and the girl should not be identified through reporting or social-media speculation.
The original report can be read in The Telegraph. Readers can also follow further UK news from New Daily Prime.
What readers should know
The boy admitted three offences and received a 12-month referral order rather than a further custodial sentence, alongside a three-year order preventing contact with the victim. The case shows why persistent unwanted contact and threats should be reported early, while the identities of both children must remain protected.
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