Teenager cleared of role in McDonald’s stabbing incident faces sentence for having knife

During his trial at Ipswich Crown Court Rishawn Mohammed claimed that while he was at the Ravenswood branch of McDonald’s on June 13, he had been attacked by the 16-year-old boy and his 17-year-old friend.

He claimed the 17-year-old youth had produced a knife – and fearing for his life, he had pulled out a kitchen knife taken from his grandmother’s kitchen.

Mohammed told the court he had made a jabbing motion towards the 16-year-old boy and hadn’t realised he had stabbed him.

He claimed he was acting in self-defence, and said he had carried a knife because he had been stabbed on two earlier occasions and feared he could be attacked again.

Mohammed, of Hurricane Place, Ipswich, denied wounding the 16-year-old with intent to cause him grievous bodily harm, violent disorder and having a knife.

He was cleared of wounding and violent disorder but convicted of having a knife.

On Thursday the court heard Mohammed had a previous conviction for having a knife, and faced a minimum sentence of six months.

Judge Rupert Overbury adjourned sentence on him to the week commencing December 20 for a report from the youth offending service.

The 16-year-old victim of the stabbing, who is now 17 and can’t be identified because of his age, denied violent disorder but was found guilty.

A 17-year-old youth, who cannot be named because of his age, admitted violent disorder and having a knife.

Sentencing for him and the stabbing victim has been adjourned to a date to be fixed.

During the trial it was alleged the 16-year-old and his 17-year-old friend were in the car park at the Ravenswood McDonald’s when Mohammed pulled out a kitchen knife and “plunged” it into his groin.

Following the attack the teenager, who was bleeding from a cut to a major artery to his groin, underwent surgery and made a good recovery.

The court heard that had it not been for prompt medical intervention he would almost certainly have died.