On September 7, 2023, at approximately 3.30pm, Alwayne Barnes, armed with a Stanley knife, initiated a confrontation with a car full of young people. Moments earlier, Barnes and his associates had catcalled an 18-year-old woman as she walked across the KFC parking lot. When the woman entered a waiting car and reported the incident, the driver glared at Barnes, triggering an aggressive response.

Without hesitation, Barnes lunged at the vehicle, punching an 18-year-old man through the open window. He then turned his attention to a 20-year-old man who had exited the car. Tragically, this second victim suffered four stab wounds – to the chest, back, and shoulders – during the ensuing attack.

As the driver attempted to intervene, Barnes slashed his arm with the blade. Meanwhile, Carl Pearson, Charlene Reid, and Dale Burton, Barnes’s associates, joined the assault. Pearson and Burton threw punches at the two men, while Reid forcibly pulled the woman out of the vehicle and assaulted her.

Police Action

The victims, bleeding and in shock, drove directly to the hospital. Along the way, they flagged down the first police car they encountered, providing crucial registration details for the assailants’ vehicle. Operational Support officers promptly tracked down the car at a petrol station on Carlton Road, Carlton, where they detained Barnes and his accomplices.

During questioning, all four admitted to participating in the violent disorder but denied intentionally stabbing anyone. However, detectives had built a compelling case against Barnes, including CCTV evidence and expert statements indicating that significant force would have been required to inflict the injuries observed – consistent with a Stanley knife.

Barnes’s Admission

Just before the trial, Barnes finally confessed. He revealed that he had carried the knife that day, intending to use it for self-defence. His admission led to charges of wounding with intent, causing grievous bodily harm, possessing a knife in a public place, and violent disorder.

Sentencing

In Nottingham Crown Court on May 28, 2024, Judge Stuart Rafferty KC described Barnes as a “dangerous offender.” Barnes received a sentence of 12 years and nine months in prison. He will serve at least two-thirds of his term in custody and an additional five years on an extended license upon release.

Burton and Pearson were both sentenced to two years and three months in prison, while Reid received a one-year and eight-month sentence for her actions.

Detective Constable Charlotte Webster of Nottinghamshire Police expressed her outrage at the level of violence displayed during the incident. She emphasized the importance of swift police action in protecting the community and ensuring justice for the victims.