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Boy offered £20 to stab teenage girl, court told

BBC Aerial view of two blue tents in a field with a number of police officers standing around and blue police tape stretched acrossBBC
The group of friends were camping by the Humber Bridge, Hull Crown Court heard

A jury was told a boy accused of attempting to kill a 13-year-old girl claimed he was offered £20 by a friend to attack her with a samurai-style sword.

The 15-year-old allegedly stabbed the victim 10 times while on a camping trip by the A63 in East Yorkshire in November last year.

Hull Crown Court heard she was found covered in blood by passing drivers after staggering on to the road.

The defendant, who cannot be named due to his age, denies attempted murder but has pleaded guilty to wounding with intent and possessing a bladed weapon.

Opening the Crown's case, David Lamb KC told the jury: "The prosecution say he is guilty of attempted murder because the attack was unlawful and the defendant's behaviour before, during and after the attack showed he meant to kill."

Mr Lamb said the victim and the defendant were on a Halloween camping trip by the Humber Bridge with friends, with one of the group taking along the sword.

The jury was told a row broke out between the victim and another girl, leading to the victim wanting to leave.

Another boy was showing her the way home through the wood when the defendant ran after them and told the other boy to go, the prosecution said.

Mr Lamb claimed this was part of a plan to isolate the victim away from the others.

He told the jury that the defendant pretended to go the toilet before he produced the sword from his waistband and began the attack saying: "I'm sorry I have to do this."

The girl managed to escape and made her way to the road and the defendant returned to the camping group.

The girl suffered wounds to her back, neck, arms and chest causing damage to her lungs. There was also an abdominal wound that penetrated her liver, the court heard.

A forensic pathologist's report said the victim "was extremely fortunate not to have lost her life as a result of the assault," Mr Lamb said.

Exterior of Hull Crown Court - a three-storey modern red brick building in a Y shape with a dome over the central doorway which has a flight of steps leading up to it
The boy is on trial at Hull Crown Court

In two police interviews the boy claimed he had nothing to do with the alleged attack and was sleeping in a tent at the time, the jury heard.

Mr Lamb said in a later meeting the defendant admitted he was responsible for the stabbing, adding that a girl in the group the victim had been arguing with had "gave him £20 to do so".

"This appears to be the motive for his attack," the prosecutor said.

The trial continues.

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