A young girl was forcibly taken by a man wearing a mask and pulled into an alley with a knife held against her throat in a frightening incident.
The victim, an 18-year-old, was on her way to a store when she got caught in a clash between two opposing groups unrelated to her on May 8 last year. According to Newcastle Crown Court, she was targeted due to mistaken identity.
As she walked along Stanhope Way in the West End of Newcastle, she noticed three men approaching her, one carrying a pole. The men seemed to be yelling at her, prompting her to remove her headphones to listen.
Tommy Burns, with blood on his face and armed with a pole, grabbed her and demanded to know the whereabouts of certain individuals. The girl insisted she had no knowledge of the individuals in question.
According to prosecutor Claire Anderson, Sean Burns, wearing a balaclava, seized the girl by her hair, raised her head, brandished a knife, and threatened to harm her if she did not disclose the location of the individuals. Despite her repeated assertions of ignorance, she was forcefully taken to a nearby alley with a knife at her throat.
The attack was interrupted when another individual appeared and instructed them to release the girl, clarifying that she was not their target. Tommy Burns then directed his aggression towards the intervening person before fleeing.
Following the harrowing ordeal, the teenager contacted her mother, and after being picked up, they witnessed a violent altercation in progress. Upon returning home, she discovered traces of blood on her hands and clothes from one of the attackers.
Although she escaped severe harm, she sustained bruises and experienced significant distress. The victim expressed feeling terrified and uncertain about her safety, noting ongoing repercussions such as flashbacks, sleep disturbances, medication requirements, and academic challenges.
Upon police arrival at the scene, Sean Burns was found at a basketball court receiving medical attention for a stab wound to his torso under his arm, as reported by ChronicleLive.
Sean Burns, residing in Arthurs Hill, Newcastle, with a history of 17 prior convictions, including drug-related offenses and intentional harm, was sentenced to eight years in prison. Tommy Burns, also from Arthurs Hill, with 11 previous convictions, including attempted robbery and a suspended sentence for a racially aggravated assault, received a three-year sentence.
Both individuals pleaded guilty to kidnapping. Sean Burns was handed a 39-month sentence, while Tommy Burns received three years. Additionally, they were both issued restraining orders lasting 10 years to safeguard the victim.
During the legal proceedings, Nick Lane, representing Sean Burns, emphasized the mistaken identity aspect of the incident, highlighting an underlying context to the altercation. Lane mentioned Sean Burns’ serious injury that night, his cognitive challenges, and mental health issues.
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