Teenagers jailed for Sutton Coldfield stabbing as blade misses victim’s heart by less than one centimetre

Two teenagerss have been jailed for stabbing a man outside a shop in Sutton Coldfield in an unprovoked attack - with the blade missing the victim’s heart by less than one centimetre.

Tunuie Linton, 18, and another boy who cannot be named for legal reasons, both pleaded guilty to wounding following an incident in Churchill Parade on May 22, 2022. West Midlands Police said that Linton of Alston Road, Solihull, and the second boy, aged 17, assaulted a 20-year-old man - injuring his hand and stabbing him in the chest.

The victim survived the attack, and - following an extensive investigation including hours of CCTV footage, multiple ID parades, forensic work, and interviews - Linton and the 17-year-old were arrested and charged. Both pleaded guilty to wounding, and were both sentenced to five years in prison at Birmingham Crown Court on 25 April.

A spokesperson for West Midlands Police said: “#LifeorKnife – the choice is yours, is a campaign by West Midlands Police. Our campaign explores the consequences of knife carrying and the impact that it has on the victim and their family.

“We are playing our part in tackling knife crime, from operational activity aimed at reducing the number of knives on our streets to educational inputs in schools. We cannot do it alone – we need help from the community and parents in tackling knife crime, and this website provides guidance and help to anyone who can support us.

“Get information on how to report knife crime anonymously and discover where you can anonymously dispose of knives by finding your local knife bin, here: https://www.westmidlands-pcc.gov.uk/tackling-violence/weapon-surrender-… If you want to report knife crime, you can contact West Midlands Police at any time. You can do this by using the Live Chat facility, which can be accessed by going on the website. If Live Chat is unavailable, you can call 101. But, remember if the incident is happening now call 999.”