Archive · 23 Sep 2026
UK Teenager Sentenced After Stabbing Girl Who Rejected His Advances
A 14-year-old boy in the UK asked a girl on a date, but she said no.
Police said he later contacted her using fake social media accounts.
On March 15, he followed her into a shop in Cirencester with a hidden knife.
CCTV showed him attacking her several times.
A shopkeeper tried to help, and the boy also stabbed the shopkeeper in the back.
The girl escaped and received cuts and bruises.
She later told the court that she had nightmares and was afraid to go out alone.
The boy admitted the offences and was given a one-year referral order.
Police said the 14-year-old attacked a girl after she rejected his advances.
The boy followed her into a Cirencester shop carrying a concealed knife.
CCTV showed him stabbing the girl and later attacking the intervening shopkeeper.
The girl suffered cuts, lacerations and bruising and described lasting psychological effects.
The teenager admitted three offences and received a one-year referral order.
- Who
- A 14-year-old boy, the girl he attacked, and a shopkeeper who intervened.
- What
- The boy stabbed the girl multiple times and stabbed the shopkeeper during the incident.
- When
- The girl rejected his request in December 2025; the attack occurred on March 15, and he appeared in court on Monday, September 21.
- Where
- Inside a shop on Upper Churnside in Cirencester, Gloucestershire; court proceedings took place in Bristol and Gloucester.
- Why
- Police said the boy had become obsessed with the girl after she rejected his advances.
Seriousness and impact
Youth sentencing process
Appropriate response to the attack
Seriousness and impact
The girl's injuries, psychological distress and the shopkeeper's intervention demonstrate the seriousness and lasting impact of the offences.
Youth sentencing process
The judge acknowledged the offences were serious but expressed surprise that the teenager had spent three months in custody, saying this appeared inconsistent with the usual process for youth cases.
- Age of defendant
- 14
- Attack location
- A shop on Upper Churnside, Cirencester, Gloucestershire
- Police call time
- Around 11:15 am
- Weapon
- A knife concealed in the boy's jeans pocket
- Girl's injuries
- Cuts and lacerations to her neck, face and hands, plus bruising to her back
- Admitted offences
- Wounding with intent, inflicting grievous bodily harm, and possessing a bladed article in a public place
- Sentence
- A one-year referral order