Three Luton teenagers found guilty of stabbing cyclist on Dunstable high street after he refused to buy cannabis

On 4 January, police were called to reports that a man had been stabbed outside a takeaway in High Street North. When emergency services arrived, the victim had lost a significant amount of blood, and was taken to hospital where he had emergency surgery.

Yesterday (Wednesday) at Luton Crown Court, three teenagers were found guilty of their roles in the attack by a jury, concluding a trial that lasted almost two weeks.

A 16-year-old boy and a 17-year-old boy both from Luton, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were both found guilty of attempted murder. Both had previously pleaded guilty to possession of a bladed article in a public place and grievous bodily harm at an earlier court hearing.

Leonardo Pasha, 19, of Teesdale, Luton, was found not guilty of attempted murder, but pleaded guilty to possession of a bladed article in a public place and grievous bodily harm at an earlier court hearing.

An 18-year-old man from Luton, who was 17 when he was charged in connection with the incident, was found not guilty of grievous bodily harm.

The victim was stabbed after he was asked if he wanted to buy cannabis, and refused.

Beds Police was able to recover CCTV footage from the takeaway, and arrest and charge the four teenagers, who are members of a Luton-based gang.

DS Duncan Young said: “This was a needless and violent attack which left the victim seriously injured and I’m sure the sheer violence used in the attack will stay with him forever.

“I hope this result shows other young people that you cannot commit violence like this without consequences. Levels of violence like this aren’t acceptable and our Boson team will continue to carry out work to apprehend those who are involved in gang-related criminality and serious youth violence.

“A number of members of the public came forward with information following the incident, which is encouraging. It shows that people in our communities won’t tolerate violence, and I’m grateful for those who came forward to help our enquiries.”

The teenagers will be sentenced on September 13.