A 'DANGEROUS' youth convicted of child rape stabbed a bricklayer in Hereford city centre.

The 17-year-old was sentenced to detention at Worcester Crown Court on Monday, prompting calls of ‘shame on you!’ directed at the judge by the defendant’s mum who rose to her feet in the public gallery.

The youth, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, admitted section 18 grievous bodily harm (with intent) after he stabbed the bricklayer in the left arm on January 29 this year.

The defendant could be seen with his head lowered, weeping in the dock throughout the hearing.

Michael Conry, prosecuting, said the defendant threw a punch and the victim hit back, catching the defendant in the jaw who then produced a Stanley knife.

The blade was raised in an upward motion and the victim felt his attacker was ‘aiming towards his neck’ and ‘did not really seem to care where the blade landed’, said Mr Conry.

The victim did not realise initially that he had been stabbed but when he realised shouted out: “You stabbed me!”

Police and ambulance arrived at the scene. Mr Conry described the victim as ‘bleeding profusely’.

The injury was described as being one centimetre to one and a half centimetres in width and of ‘some length’. The victim required 16 stitches and suffered a chip to his bone.

There was also a puncture wound over the left elbow. The youth was arrested a short time later, giving a no comment interview to police.

As a result of the stabbing he was in breach of a youth rehabilitation order imposed on June 18 last year which the judge revoked before he resentenced.

Mr Conry said the youth’s previous convictions included raping a girl under 13, two rapes of a girl under 16, two sexual assaults of a female under 13 by penetration, causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, taking indecent photographs of a child, blackmail and two offences of conspiring to supply cannabis.

Abigail Nixon, defending, said the youth was a "very frightened and tearful young man".

"He’s immature and naïve and he has made a very, very foolish decision,” she added.

Judge Jim Tindal told the youth that as a result of his previous offences he had become, predictably, a target for abuse and harassment.

"I accept that is probably the reason you had a knife with you” said judge Tindal.

However, he said the reality was that the victim ‘did not deserve what you did to him’.

The judge ordered the youth to be detained for five years – two years for the matters for which he was resentenced and three years for the GBH.

A 12 month concurrent sentence was also imposed for possession of the bladed article.