A gang has been sentenced following a violent double stabbing and vehicle attack in West Bromwich that left two teenagers with life-changing injuries.
On November 17 last year, a teenager was threatened with a zombie knife while sitting in his car on Huntington Road, West Bromwich. He was forced to exit the vehicle and hand over his wallet, after which the offenders stole his car.
The victim then met friends in a second car on Lindsay Road. However, the gang pursued them, rammed the second vehicle, and struck it with machetes. Two boys, aged 17 and 21, were stabbed in the legs during the assault and required hospital treatment for serious injuries.
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The perpetrators fled in the stolen vehicle but were later apprehended following a pursuit triggered by ANPR camera footage on Bullows Road.
Odin Borthwick-Melia, 19, from Clifton Avenue, Walsall, was charged with wounding and sentenced to 12 years in prison after an October hearing. A 17-year-old boy—who cannot be named for legal reasons—received a six-year sentence for wounding, possession of a bladed weapon, affray, and aggravated vehicle taking. Additionally, three 17-year-olds charged with affray and aggravated vehicle taking were each given 12-month youth referral orders last week.
Detective Constable Chelsea Norris, who led the investigation, stated: “This incident profoundly affected the victims and their families. The victims sustained life-changing injuries as a result of this brutal attack. I commend their courage in supporting this investigation.”
She added, “Carrying a knife is never the right choice. It brings serious risks of arrest and involvement in violent crimes, with consequences that can devastate lives—as this case clearly shows.”