Leamington knife attacker stabbed victim in the back during feud

And at Warwick Crown Court this week, his attacker Ibrahim Diallo pleaded guilty to wounding him with intent to cause him grievous bodily harm.

Diallo, 21, of Grove Street, Leamington, was jailed for three years and nine months after being given credit for his plea.

Prosecutor Andrew Wallace said that in August, Diallo was with a friend in the Pump Room Gardens in Leamington town centre when he confronted Nathan Kapoor.

The two of them had been involved in a clash four weeks earlier which Mr Kapoor described as a fist fight, but in which Diallo claims he was stabbed in the wrist.

That had led to bad blood between them, and when Diallo saw Mr Kapoor, who had been in town with his father before going to the park, Diallo said to a friend who was with him: “Let’s do him.”

They approached Mr Kapoor, who knew there was going to be trouble as soon as he saw Diallo, despite there being a number of other people in the park at the time.

And the witnesses included two students, one of whom realised something serious was about to happen and took two photographs of the incident with his phone.

Diallo chased and confronted Mr Kapoor and punched him to the face, knocking him to the ground.

He then delivered further blows before pulling out a knife and stabbing him to the back.

The victim was not aware he had been stabbed until he got to his feet and realised he was bleeding.

But fortunately it was ‘not the most serious of wounds,’ and was not deep, although it required three stitches, said Mr Wallace.

Elizabeth Power, defending, said that since being remanded in custody following his arrest, Diallo has been ‘doing something with his life’ and is undertaking courses in both plastering and gardening.

“It is fortuitous it was only one blow, and it was fortunate it has not caused any lasting injuries to the complainant,” she commented.

Jailing Diallo, Judge Sylvia de Bertodano told him: “Nathan Kapoor was somebody you had a history with, and I accept you yourself, in the course of that, had suffered injuries in the past.

“But you met him on this day by chance, and took the opportunity to confront him.

“You punched him to the head and got him to the ground, and then you pulled a knife out of your pocket and stabbed him.

“Very fortunately it was not a very serious injury.

“But you know very well that you should not carry knives, and for that very reason. If you’re carrying a knife and things get heated, the temptation to pull the knife out and use it is very high.”

After the incident, Diallo had been arrested almost immediately by Warwickshire Police officers and the knife was recovered from the scene.

Speaking after the sentencing, Det Con Thomas Quinlan, of Warwickshire Police, said: “We welcome this result, which exemplifies how seriously knife crime is taken by both the police and the courts.

“Fortunately knife crime and other violent crimes are rare in Warwickshire but, when they do occur, we will act swiftly to ensure those responsible are brought to justice and the public is protected.”