A teenager who stabbed a 16-year-old boy after luring him to a dark alley under the false pretences of meeting his girlfriend has been jailed for life.
Kevin Biji, 17, of Kamala Way in Norris Green, Liverpool, sent messages to the victim from his girlfriend’s phone purporting to be her, inviting him to her home in the Aigburth area of Liverpool on 9 April, 2024.
After leaving his girlfriend’s home, Biji armed himself with a knife and put on a face covering before stabbing the victim twice in an alley close to his girlfriend’s house.
The victim managed to get away but suffered life-threatening injuries. Surgeons were able to save the boy’s life after carrying out emergency surgery.
Biji was arrested a couple of hours later and was charged with attempted murder. He pleaded guilty to wounding with intent, but the Crown Prosecution Service refused to accept that plea and pursued a prosecution for attempted murder.
He was found guilty after a trial at Liverpool Crown Court in October and today (15 November 2024) he was sentenced to life imprisonment and must serve a minimum of 10 years before he can be considered for release.
The Judge determined that Biji was “dangerous” and posed a real risk to the public.
Luke Unsworth, Senior Crown Prosecutor at CPS Mersey-Cheshire, said: “Kevin Biji was just 16 years old when he armed himself with a knife to attack another teenage boy that presumably he saw as some sort of love rival.
“He set the victim up and sent the messages on behalf of his girlfriend from her phone and lured him to a dark alley.
“He attacked an unarmed, innocent young person who had no idea what he was walking into, and simply walked back to his girlfriend’s house afterwards as if nothing had happened.
“If a person carries a knife, it’s generally only a matter of time before they use it. Knife crime causes chaos and tragedy.
“The Crown Prosecution Service would like to thank the victim and his family for their help in securing justice in this case.”
