'Obsessed' Boy, 14, Stabbed Girl Multiple Times After Rejection, Gets Maximum One-Year Referral Order

A 14-year-old boy who became 'obsessed' with a schoolgirl before stabbing her repeatedly in a shop after she rejected his advances has been given a 12-month referral order and a three-year restraining order.

The boy was sentenced at a Crown Court hearing on Monday after previously admitting wounding with intent, inflicting grievous bodily harm without intent and possession of a bladed article in a public place.

Gloucestershire Police said the teenager had begun using fake social-media accounts to message the 14-year-old girl after she rejected his advances in December 2025.

CCTV Captured 'Frenzied' Knife Attack

The attack took place on 15 March after the boy waited near a shop in Cirencester and saw the girl enter to buy a drink. Police said he followed her inside with a kitchen knife concealed in his jeans, grabbed her and struck her repeatedly.

A shopkeeper tried to pull him away and was also cut in the back before the girl managed to run from the shop and seek help at a neighbouring property.

The girl suffered cuts to her neck, hands and face as well as bruising to her back. Police later found the boy nearby with the knife still in his pocket.

Detective Superintendent Ian Fletcher described the incident as a 'frenzied attack' and said the girl had been extremely fortunate to escape without fatal injuries.

The CCTV appeared to show more than 10 attempts to stab her, according to Fletcher. He also said the boy walked 'horrifyingly' slowly towards the girl before launching the attack.

Police said the violence followed months of escalating behaviour after the girl made clear she did not want a relationship with him.

Fletcher said the boy had repeatedly contacted her online until she blocked him, describing the pattern as obsessive and similar to conduct police more commonly encounter in adult domestic abuse cases.

Victim Says She Still Suffers Nightmares

In a victim impact statement read to the court, the girl described continuing fear months after the attack.

'I'm scared and nervous anywhere that I go,' she said, adding that she now flinches when someone raises a hand near her.

She also said she suffers nightmares in which she repeatedly relives the stabbing and no longer feels comfortable travelling alone. 'This is going to affect my ability to trust people,' she said.

Judge Says Boy Is 'Capable of Learning'

The court imposed a 12-month referral order, the maximum statutory length, alongside a three-year restraining order.

Referral orders require young offenders to work with a youth offender panel and agree to a programme intended to address their behaviour and reduce the risk of reoffending. They can last between three and 12 months.

Judge Ian Lawrie called the stabbing a 'very troubling event' but said he did not consider the boy to be a 'danger'. 'He's still young. And he is capable of learning,' the judge said.

Police said the teenager's behaviour resembled patterns more commonly encountered in adult domestic abuse cases, making his age particularly unusual.

Fletcher said he hoped the girl could now begin rebuilding her life after what he described as 'deeply traumatic events'.

As the legal proceedings conclude, community leaders hope the young survivor receives the comprehensive support required to rebuild her life. Meanwhile, public debate continues regarding the adequacy of sentencing guidelines for violent juvenile offenders across the United Kingdom.