A man who stepped in to help young girls faced with a knife wielding teen in Crowland says he hopes the defendant gets the help he needs.
Joshua Phipps brandished a Stanley-style knife after being seen to be aggressive towards two girls on Crease Drove on January 6.
Chris Bryan, manager of Crowland Cranes, stepped in to help the girls only for the 19-year-old to pull out a knife out saying ‘I’m going to cut you into bits’.
“I didn’t do much; you just step in when you have to,” said Chris who estimates the girls involved were aged ‘13 to 15’. “One of our drivers told us there was a young lad outside being aggressive to two girls.
“I went and stood outside so he would see that there were people around to witness it. It was like a red rag to a bull.
“He pulled out a knife. He went to swing but I knocked him out of the way.
“His mum came out and they took the knife from him.
“I just reacted to what was happening. There wasn’t much he could have done to me with a Stanley knife.”
Phipps appeared before Boston Magistrates’ Court last week which heard he’d also threatened ‘to find’ anyone who called the police and offered to pay £150 for Mr Bryan to switch his company’s CCTV cameras off.
Prosecuting Turan Sanat told the court: “His mum arrived and his manner changed. He was emotional though and continued to be aggressive.
“He was crying but also telling Mr Bryan ‘I will find you if you tell the police’ and that he’d pay him £150 if the CCTV cameras were turned off.”
Phipps had already pleaded guilty to being in possession of a knife in a public place, of a common assault and an assault by beating relating to the incident.
He had also pleaded guilty to a separate charge of possessing an offensive weapon on Harvester Way in Crowland on March 6 this year.
The court heard a member of the public had seen Phipps intoxicated, walking along the road waving a crowbar.
The sentencing for all the charges had been delayed for a report which, defence solicitor Michael Alexander said had concluded the defendant had a mental age ‘ten years younger than his physical one’ and while his address was given as Adcocks Avenue, he was currently ‘sofa surfing’.
“He seems a young person in a bit of a crisis who responded really, really awfully,” said Mr Alexander. “What’s clear from the report is that has severe learning difficulties.
“He was with these girls and lost his temper. He threw his teddies out the pram.
“He didn’t have a stab knife; he had a Stanley-style knife. It’s still serious but there is a difference.
“He was mouthing off and there were traces of alcohol in his system.
“One of the young girls says ‘give me the knife’ and he does, which is followed by a lot of tears and tantrums.”
Phipps was given 80 hours of community service to be completed in 18 months. He was also ordered to pay a £140 victim surcharge and £85 costs.
An order was made for the forfeiture and destruction of both the knife and the crowbar.
Chair of the magistrates Fiona Randall, told Phipps: “Do engage with probation and get the help you need.”
Mr Bryan said he was pleased that Phipps had not be jailed.
“I felt for him a bit to be honest,” he said. “I hope he gets the help he needs and turns his life around so he can get on the straight and narrow.
“Stepping in wasn’t about me; it was about making sure the girls were alright.
“I have two kids myself and grandchildren and you just wouldn’t want anything like that to happen to one of them.
“It shouldn’t happen to any young girls.”
