A teenager accused of stabbing a 16-year-old boy in the car park of an Ipswich branch of McDonald’s has told a court he was carrying a knife after being stabbed on two earlier occasions.

Giving evidence during his trial at Ipswich Crown Court, Rishawn Mohammed said he had been stabbed in June 2017 in the Ravenswood area of Ipswich and again earlier this year in the Chantry area of the town.

He accepted that when he was stabbed in June last year, he had a knife hidden in his shoe and subsequently admitted having a knife in his possession.

Mohammed said that on June 13 this year he took a knife from his grandmother’s kitchen because he feared he might be stabbed again.

He claimed that while he was at the Ravenswood branch of McDonald’s, he was attacked by a 16-year-old boy and his 17-year-old friend and had pulled out the knife when he saw the 17-year-old had a knife.

He had made a jabbing motion towards the 16-year-old but hadn’t realised at the time that he had stabbed him.

Before the court are the 16-year-old victim of the alleged stabbing, who is now 17, who has denied violent disorder and Mohammed, 18, of Hurricane Place, Ipswich, who has denied wounding the 16-year-old with intent to cause him grievous bodily harm, violent disorder and having a knife.

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

The 16-year-old chose not to give evidence during his defence case.

The court has heard that the 16-year-old victim of the stabbing was with a 17-year-old friend in the car park at the Ravenswood McDonald’s when Mohammed allegedly pulled out a large, red-handled kitchen knife with a 12cm blade and “plunged” it into his groin.

The injured teenager, who cannot be named because of his age, slumped to the ground in between two cars and his friend produced a knife and chased after Mohammed but could not catch him.

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

Mr Jackson said had it not been for prompt medical intervention he would “almost certainly” have died.

The trial continues.